Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-12-20
From the American Farmer.
Po,peltoa, P..itad. Co. July /, 1928.


DEAR Sir,
Your prof able management much
more han the high state OF cultivation,
in whicf. The officers ofthe society found
your farm, leads.m 10 desire, not mere
" statement ofthe system, you pursue
in the preparation Of your soil--the ar
rangenent ofyour tialls--ihe rotation
of your crops--bat the mode OF secu
rag your fodder-ieedng your cattle
and The application of their manure. |
was struck by the appearance of your
stock, aud gratHed that our opinions and
PRACTICE perfectly coincide, in he prepa-
ration Of hay, and distribution of il in
hay houses, instead of huge mows.
have thought he parade of Pennsyl-
vana barns, about as profitable as the de-
coration Of our fine blue wagons, or the
musical bells attached 10 our teams
The ingenious mode adopted to deprive
our grasses, Of their most valuable and
nutritious paris, is ST. absurd, that il
long since would have been abandoned,
] should hope, had not our prejndiccs
in favor Of old usages, which generally
keep practical larmcrs right, in this NJ
stance put US all wrpp5.
lngood weather most crops OF grasses
can be secured without being shaker
from lhe.swarjh. My uniform practice
has been for many years to allow my
grass to senaln nearly two days. IN
touched, 10 gather 1t by a horse rake, cock
ii 10 The h3t tart Of HE day, salt it, aad
place il iii an nay house, which admins
iree circula ION u air. My clover, Ike
yours, Exams much oil The color OF MS
blossoms, and leaves The advantage
al pltlhiag hay, from the carriage into a
" bank barn." does not count erbalapce
the expense OF labor in preparing, the
loss OF nutrition in drying, and The great
danger oil Ere from heating, as well as
from the es ape OF moisture, which So
ofien 10 this climate attracts lightuing,
TO the utter destruction Of The building,
and all the hopes OF the farm.
The convenience OF feeding, has also
been bfought 10 AID the arguments, in Ia
vor Of grea, P enasyIvana barn. We
awe much of our success, TO the indus
try, care, and skill, Of our excellent Ger
man population, but | think, it may be
questioned, whether The expense they
ipcnr, in The arrangement OF their farm
buildings, is not very often mlschiepous,
NOT merely useless III making tender
their caaie, and diseasIns them by bad
hay. L is scarcely possible in this state,
where the changes OF climate are sudden
and we're, to guard farm stock, from sui
fcrlng when they are mahe warm through
cut the night, and necessarily left opposed
10 the peiiing OF storms, during part OF
the day. am convinced that mich
COWS, and very young calves, require
protection from cold--all other satt!e
II guarded from wet,and currents of ind,
feed with more appetite, digest with
more ease, work with more vigor, and
encounter accidental exposure, with less
danger of harm, than ii they be confined
wiihinthick stone walls, inhaiing an inn
pure atmosphere, from which by The in
stinct Of nature, il not thwarted by the
ili-jhdsed con,riyanceo man, they would
hy.
would suggest, that the position FOR
the farm yard be selected as usual a, lie
foot of small hill, OF which the sod
them side should be cut in such manner,
IS to admit The erection oil barn su!ii
clently large for all lis usual purposes,
except that of holding hay and feeding
cattle. Roofs pitching TO the south, and
sufficiently capacious 10 protect all the
hay, straw, fodder, and stock OF die farm
should be extended at both gable ends.
For the support Of The fodder lofts, and
roofs, pillars Of brick, or stone, should
be erected at proper intervals, for the
security Of the bank, and the road at its
edge--a wall somewhat higher, than it,
should be buil,-a space OF two feet,
should be left, between the northern
side Of the loft and the wall. Racks
should be placed perpendicularly, with
their outer edges, exactly corresponding,
and parallel with the wal, and side OF
the loft. Thus space OF two feet
would remain between them and the
wall, 10 be filled with hay. A long
shutter sufficiently wide, may besecured
by hinges, attached to posts, Oh the ou.er
side Of the wall-in order that when the
rack shall have been filled, by pitching
from above, il may be closed, al proper
angle to exclude ram or coldair
Stalls for cattle, pens for sheep, and
calves, should be at fit distance placed