Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/595

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BARMEN.
521
BARN.

in divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower Bar- men, and includes several small villages, now uni- ted into one district. Its western boundary ad- joins the city of Elberfeld. The city has clean and well-kept streets, the principal avenue being the .-Vlleestrasse. The river, which flows through the length of the city, is crossed by about 20 bridges. Among the noteworthy buildings are the old and the new Rathaus and the Municipal Theatre. Barmen has only one park, which is, however, well wooded, having been made up of a number of woodlands purchased by the city. The city owns its water-works, its gas- works, and electric-light plants, all of which net large profits to the city, helping to keep down taxes, while furnishing the people high-grade service at reasonable rates. Barmen has numer- ous benevolent and charitable institutions, in- cluding a municipal hospital. Its educational institutions consist of a gymnasium, several high schools, an industrial school, a natural-history museum, a library, and a picture gallery. The district adjoining the city is one of the most populous and prosperous in Germany. Barmen is the principal seat of the ribbon manufacture on the Continent. Its fabrics go to all parts of the world. It produces linen, woolen, cotton, silk and half-silk ribbons, cloth of various kinds, stay-laces, thread, etc. It has also considerable manufactures of soap, candles, metal-ware, but- tons, machinery, organs, and pianofortes. There are, besides, in the valley, numerous bleachfields and Turkey-red dye-works. Barmen has six rail- way stations, and is in railway communication with all the principal German cities. For local traffic Barmen has several electric railways, in- cluding a novel electric swinging railway built over and following the bed of the Wupper be- tween Barmen and Sonnhorn. Lower Barmen has a mineral spring and a bathing establish- ment. (Population, in 1890, 116,000; in 1000, 142,000. Barmen is first heard of in the Eleventh Century. In the Fifteenth Century the bleaching industry was highly developed there. Its modern prosperity dates from its annexation to Prussia in 1815.


BAR'MOTE COURT (for earlier bargemote, herghmote, from berg, hill + mote, meeting) . The name of local courts held in the lead-mining districts of Derbyshire, England, for the deter- mination of the ancient rights and privileges of the inhabitants of those districts, in the lead- mines, and for the settlement of disputes relat- ing thereto. These courts are of great .antiquity, but their jurisdiction and procedure are to a considerable extent regulated by statutes of the late Queen Victoria's reign (14 and 1.5 Vict. c. 94). Consult: Enci/clopaidia of the Lairs of England, II. 18; Bainbridge, The Law of Mines and Minerals (5th ed., London, 1900).


BAR'MOUTH. A picturesque watering-place in Merioneth County, Wales, situated at the mouth of the Maw, 230 miles from London. On the opposite shore lies Cader Idris, over 2900 feet high. Population, in 1901, 2245.


BARN (AS. herern, bcrn, from bere, barley + em, a close place). A building u.sed for the storage of feed, farm products, implements, and machinery, and for the ^housing of stock, all under one roof. It is now generally recognized that it is more convenient and economical of labor to make ample provision for these purposes in one compact building, than to have a number of separate buildings — stables for horses, cow- houses, sheepfolds, piggeries, etc. Similar con- siderations of convenience and economy of labor make it desirable to hiive the barn centrally lo- cated, in communication with as many fields as possible, and at a convenient distance from the farmhouse, though not so near as to be offensive or dangerous in case of fire. The situation selected should be well drained, either naturally or by artificial means, so that the stalls, yards, and courts may be kept clean and dry. A hill- side facing the south furnishes an especially de- sirable location, since with a barn so located it is possible to have good drainage, a clean, dry basement opening on the ground in the rear, a driveway to the upper floors, and a protected court with warm southern exposure. The main portion of the building, which may have two or more stories, is utilized mainly for the storage of feeds, farm products, etc. It should be con- structed with a view to convenience and economy of space, the light frame and balloon style of construction being especially adapted to this pur- pose. The various farm products, especially those which are to be fed, may with advantage be stored, when first carried into the barn, on the upper floors in order that the subsequent labor of handling in feeding may be lessened. The farm animals of ditt'erent kinds are provided for on the ground floor, preferably in wings in- closing a central court. In all properly con- structed barns, adequate provision is made for proper lighting and ventilation. This is often neglected; yet it is a matter of the greatest im- portance, especially in the case of horses. If possible, the stalls should be lighted from the rear. Animals cannot be expected to keep in good health if confined in dark, poorly ventilated stalls. An abundant supply of good water is also an essential. Individual troughs are more hygienic than a common trough. However, a tank or trough in the open court, to which all animals may have access, is a common and very satisfactory arrangement. If spring-water or artesian water under pressure is not available, a supply may be provided by storing rain-water in cisterns or by pumping from wells. Windmills are well adapted to the latter purpose, as well as for grinding feed and similar work, for which motive power of some kind is required in all well- equipped barns. Provision should be made for the collection and preservation of both the solid and liquid manure with as little handling as possible. The New England plan of manure cel- lars or pits under the barn, into which all the manure is dumped and there 'worked over' by swine, is not without its advantages, especially as a meiVns of preserving the manure. ( See Ma- nures AXD Manubi.no.) The plan and construc- tion of a barn will vary with the purposes for which it is to be used — the products to be stored, the stock to be housed, etc. When, from motives of economy, it is desired to build at first a small barn, which is ultimately to be enlarged, it is wise to have a scale drawing made, at the begin- ning, of the building as it is to be when com- pleted, showing the location of the yard, pig- pens, cow-stalls, sheepfolds, etc. In this case also a substantial frame, well covered, should be the first consideration. A large part of the interior fixtures may be dispensed with tempo- rarily. There is an almost infinite variety in