The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-09-21
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Philosophy ofTight Barns.

Philosophy ofTight Barns.
EpiToRs COUNTRY GENTLEMAN: The
comments of so intelligent farmer AS
l.. f. Scott, on page 4S7. upon my arti-
Gle on page 43q, on eight barns,' show
how easy it is to he misunderstood, as
well rs for him to be "nlistaken." In
reference to my statement that hay
pressed in tight affords less access of
air, and thus heats less rapidly, and is
more likely 10 escape injury, he OPP
poses general opinion among farmers :;
but this general opinion, founded upon
the general practice in favor of open
boarded barns, is just what am cal
ling in question; and the fact stated, in
reference to the greater heat where the
man stands and presses the hay in
moving away, is not at all opposed TO
my view. The hay, being loose OH the
sides, admits the free access of cool air,
which condenses or drives the warm,
thin, watery vapor to the centre, where
it cannot escape rapidly, and causes the
extra heating there.
Now to make this matter plain, let
us suppose the hay TO be placed in thin
layers upon shelves, one above another
so that current of air might pass be-
tween the layers. In that case there
would be no sensible heating because
the moisture would be carried off by
slow evaporation in the air. Mr.. S.
says he throws every green forkful to
the outside and every dry one TO the
middle of the NOW. This is right. for
by placing the green hay on the out
side il will settle more solidly than dry
hay and render the NOW more impervi-
Gus to air, and what watery vapor is
formed inside and passed to the centre
will be absorbed by the better cured
hay. But to return TO the points |
made on page 1870, that tight barns are
better than open barns to store slightly
cured hay in, and that the more solid
the hay is pressed the better: in this
case there is no cold current of air pas e
sing round the outside of the NOW to
condense its moisture, but the thin.
heated, watery vapor will rise up and
pass out at the top, and the sweating
process will go on SO slowly as not to
reach destructive fermentation, especi-
ally if there is II layer of dry material
on the top (such as straw or very dry
hay) through which this vapor may
pass and be condensed on the top Of
the dry layer and not fall back upon
the curing hay.
once tried what was then regarded
as dangerous experiment, namely,
packed about eight tons of clover in
early blossom, having had only three
hours of sun, in tight bay twelve by
thirty-six feet, and placed over it a
layer of dry straw two and half feet
thick. The heated, watery vapor pas
sing up through this straw was con-
densed on top in such quantity as to
rot one-half the straw; but the clover
came out in winter almost as fine in col
or and flavor as it went in. | was led
TO this experiment from some practice
| had had in kiln-drying lumber. The
lumber was placed in building, tight
at the bottom and sides, with q LAYER of
fine shavings upon narrow Stats over
head, and layer of coarse sawdust on
the top of the shavings; over the saw
dust was free passage of cool air.
The room in which the lumber was
placed being strongly heated, convert
ed the water in the lumber into thin
vapor, which passed readily through
the layer of shavings and sawdust, was
condensed into water by the cool cur
rent of air above, part passing off, and
the remainder falling back upon the
sawdust, but it could not descend again
upon the lumber; and thus the sap in
the lumber was disposed Of very rapid
ly.
The principle was precisely the
same in the experiment with incurred
clover. The heat in the body of clover
converted its sap into vapor, which
passed through the straw and was con-
densed into water, which could not de-
csend again upon the clover. Had
there been no straw placed over this
green clover, the condensation of the
vapor OH top would have rotted thick
layer and possibly, by free access of air
on top, caused such rapid fermentation
as to develope spontaneous combustion.
Certainly do not advise putting green
clover into ordinary barns. But if it
were practicable to seal up q body of
green clover air-tight, there would be
no danger whatever of injury, but il
would keep as fresh as when put up.
Air is absolutely necessary to fermen-
tation. The principle in the kiln-dry-
ing of the lumberexplains the more rap
id evaporation of the water in boiling
sap, mentioned by Mr.. Bliss on page
4S7.
will mention another illustration OF
the principle Of packing the green hay
closely to exclude as much air as posi-
BILE. Grass, scarcely cured at all, only
free from external water, may be pres
sed into solid bales, and not be injured
by heating. This has been tested in
several instances, but it would not be
successful unless pressed so solid as to
exclude the air.
Mr.. Scott mentions the practice of q
neighbor, who built small, tall barns
and filled them from the top. Strange
that Mr.. Scott did not see that this is
quite in keeping with my advise in
packing the hay tight. A tall NOW,
thus filled, would be quite solid, and
this solidity assisted to make up for his
error of not having his barns
also tight. have this season but
fifty tons in NOW twenty-eight
feet high, having been moved away
simply with the horse fork, and it is
very solid. The hay was not cured as
much as would have been necessary in
stack, and if air is wanted around the
outside the stack must be the best man.
ner of getting it. trust this subject
will be further discussed in the light of
facts -TE w . Er;a Co,,ntx, "