Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-08-05
Farming in Franklin County.
No. 8.

/ him good barn means something. 1
saw more good, substantial and commo-
dious barns being built in one town in
that county, than saw in all the other
towns | visited in the State, driving my
own team from the Canada line to Wind
ham county. Let me give your readers
some idea of their good" barns. A
sloping piece of land, near the house is
secured on which to build, a level spot is
made the side of the contemplated barn,
by digging back into the bank. Having
made good cellar bottom, a solid stone
wall we'll laid in mortar is. built about
eight feet high. On this wall the barn
is built, and the cellar is used for hous-
ing the manure. Directly over the eel
lar are the stalls for cattle, sheep, &C.,
usually covering the entire side of the
barn. Over these stalls are the mows
FOR hay, and the barn floor, which is
several feet above the bottom of the hay
mows, provided there is slope enough to
the land to drive in so high
visited one in which the barn floor
was q feet above the cellar bottom
Some of the dimensions of this barn were
as follows: Ground side 48x42 feet, hight
of posts from top of cellar wall to cave
cutters % feet, barn floor u feet wide,
bays 10 feet wide EACH
AS the bays went several feet below
the barn floor, it was but little work to
SNOW away" The stalls for the cattle
were arranged in two rows with heads
facing each other, and feed alley be-
tween. In front of each row of cattle
and about q feet above the floor was a
trough running the entire length of the
stable in which there was always stream
of water running, so that the cattle were
never let out to drink, they could drink
when they liked. Behind the cattle
were trap doors through the floor for
cleaning the stables.
| need not add that such barns save
labor, save feed and are better for stock.
The one of which | have been speak
ing, has been built II years, and though
just across the line into Canada, is q fair
specimen of barns in Franklin county.
Much attention is now given to ventil-
alton in barns.
In connection with the barn is a
milking stable" for summer use. 1t is
a long, narrow building with roof a
floor, and Sanctions arranged so that the
cows heads will be toward the outside of
the building, which makes it cool and
airy for the cattle. Into the building
the cows are driven each time MIXED and
all fastened in their places, SO that there
is no running of cattle in the yard, nc
milking in the hot sun, or chilling rain
The floor being cleared every day, every
thing is in good order. These milking
stables were most numerous in Sheldon
and Enosburg. A yard is fenced of
from the meadow where the COWS are
usually kept over night, which is often
plowed up about the middle of July and
sown with English turnips, and anoth.
err yard fenced Off
| Next to his barn, is milk room. The
best ones saw were partially under
ground, sunk like a CELLAR perhaps three
feet, with brick or cement floors, brick
walls for the sides of the room, with a
north window and door. This gave the
room cool, even temperature. In one
case the man had small hand car, and
rail track built from his milk room to
the piggery, some dozen rods away, Sc
that when the milk was SKINNED and
emptied into tub on the car it was
wheeled away with ease
| Another track led from his milking
stable to his milk room. That simple
car and those easily built tracks saved
no small amount of hard work.
| Some farmers are beginning to use the
large patented milk pars. l saw one in
which was the milk of 20 COWS and il
was only half full. Its side was Z feet
in length, 81 in width and inches deep
The pan was of course stationary. 1t
had double bottom, SO that under the
milk there was continually running a
stream of cold water, which kept the
milk cool till the cream had formed
This milk room had four of these, which
cost about s75 all set up. Near by was
a large churn attached to horse power,
so that the hard work of caring for his
dairy was greatly reduced.
At another place I found in the cheese
room, small boiler, which heated the
milk and all the water for dairy purpo.
ses.
On the whole my trip among these
farmers was enjoyable and instructive.
FARMERS Boy.
II D..