Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/564

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

54-0 . COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. 1068 i fl Inn nnnnnn n|a fl 10G9 is a west elevation. 1069 Other jjarticulars of is an elevation from the cast, and fi; construction will be found in the following descrip- tive particular, sent by W. M. Mackenzie, Esq. Architect, the author of the Design : — 11.33. The Situation fixed upon was nearly level, and the straw-yard was cut out hollow in the centie, of a basin figure, that form being most advantageous for retaining the moisture among the manure. 1 1 34. In the General Arrangemeiit, the highest of the buildings front the north and east, as best suited for the purposes to which those p.irts of the steading are to be applied, and at the same time adding to the comfort of the cattle in the sheds and straw-yards, by sheltering them in the directions which are generally the coldest. The pigsties on the south, and the byres, &c., on the west, being low buildings, do not sliade the straw-yard and cattle-sheds, but admit the rays of the sun to all parts of them. The farm house is situated on the south-west of the steading with the kitchen court adjacent to the cow- byre, calf-ward, &c. ; thus keeping the offices which are managed by the house servants in the one division, and those under the management of the farm servants in the other divi- sion, of the establishment. 1135. The Threshing Machinery being placed in a corner of the square, discharges the threshed corn into the clean-corn )0om, in the direction of the granary which occu- pies the upper story of that side of the square, and the straw is thrown from it into the straw-house, which is in the direction of the straw chambers, over the fccding-bj're, stables, &c., on the other side of the square. By this arrangement the clean-corn room communicates with the granary, which comes three feet over it, and extends from this point over the cart-shed and boiling-house. In this three feet of the granary which comes over the corn-room is placed a trajidoor, through which the sacks are drawn up by means of a wheel and axle, and are then placed in a miller's barrow, and wheeled into the granary. In this way the clean-corn room occujiies a side of the square apart from the offices allotted for the bestial (lieasts), and other apartments connected with them ; and, as the corn-room can be locked up the moment the operation of threshing is finislicd, no opportunity is left for the grain being pilfered or injured. The granary, in this situation, has not only the advantage of the ventilators in the side walls, but it has also the benefit of the free air in the open cart-shed under it, which acts upon the grain tlirough the joints of the floor. The cart-shed under the granary, besides being bene- ficial to it for air, is convenient, particularly where a farm is situated at a considerable distance from a market town ; or, in the winter season, when the carts are required to be loaded on the evening preceding the market day, as it can be done before yoking, and without moving the carts from under their cover, by means of the trapdoor in the centre passage of tlic granary, which passage is at all times kept clear from grain. In the straw- house a trapdoor is placed over the straw-rack, and when the lower part of the house is packed full, this trapdoor can be shut, and the straw carried along the upper floor to the straw-chambers over the stables and feeding-byre. These apartments will contain the straw of three large ricks, which will enable the farmer to keep different kinds under (H)ver, and in separate divisions. A door five feet square is placed opposite the passage which extends along the centre of the straw-yard for taking out straw for the cattle-sheds, cow-byres, &c., if at any time required, but in general these are supplied from the low straw-house. The tlireshing-machine is one of six-horse power, and is im- pelled by water, but is so j)lanned that horses can be employed if the water run short : in this Design, however, the horse-shed is not executed. • 136. The circular Fecding-hyre, which will contain eighteen cattle, is by far the most commodious and convenient arrangement for a farm of this extent. The figure of the stalls being broad beliind gives more space for the cattle when lying ; and, as a greater quantity of bedding (litter) is requisite, more manure, of course, will be made ; at the same time admitting a more abundant supply of fresh air, by having the advantage of one large ventilator in the centre of the circle serving the whole. The eighteen cattle are put up in double stalls in pairs ; they are bound up one on each side of the travis (partition, pro- bably from traverser, Fr. to cross), which is made high enough to prevent the horned