The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-07
harms and Grain Houses

Now that we have produced the largest
grain crop ever raised in Texas, the next
point is to gather and take good care Of Il.
Is your crib and barn of sufficient capacity ?
DO they leak through roof or side? Have
you carefully examined them and replaced
all rotten shingles and boards with sound
oneS' If not do SO before gathering the
tirst ear OF corn. If you have not sufficient
room you should make it at once.
There are rs many plans for barns and
cribs as dwelling houses. We know with
many farmers ii is unpopular TO have differ
ent kinds of stock wintered and fed under
the same roof. Yet tits msrvelously convon.
lent to have fodder and corn and stack hay
at least in close proximity, and have your
horses, cattle and pigs to come within a few
feet of their stores to be fed night and morn
ing. The corn may be stored in one division
of the main building, the second story if
there is room, or in separated one, but not
far off. The fodder, hay and oats, wher
under roof should always be in the loft,
with holes through the floor above the racks,
80 that these racks can be filled quickly and
without waste.
The structure in the minds eye-a favor,
ito with the Dutch farmers OF PENNSYLVANIA
is u combination barn, crib, stable, wagon,
cart and implement house. There is q Dor,
ton set apart for horses, another for the
COWS, and perhaps still another for the hogs,
but all have separate ingress and egress, and
lots fenced 10 themselves, with the fencing
centering upon the building Stalls are ar
ranged aroHnd center room, in which
the cutting. boxes for chopping food, harness,
measurs and forty other things are stored.
Windows lead directly to the troughs. The
shed-rooms are SO constructed they are airy
IN summer and can be closed tight in winter
The size OF the whole building of course
must be determined by that of the farm and
the amount Of stock. We are speaking of n
complete little farm of two or three hundred
acres and proprietor who does not strive so
much to become big farmer as successful
one. In great farms series of these estab-
hshments would not be advisable as ono each
for every grand division of the estate-one
for the horses, one tor the cows, one for ,Ae
sheep and one for the tools and implements
"a place for everything and everything in
its place."
There is one indispensable requisite in nv
structure: Water If it cannot be placed
in close proximity to running, healthy
stream, and you cannot find water near
enough the surface to be raised by pump,
then your only remaining resort is n cistern,
or three or four of them, so located as to
catch plenty from the roof, with water
troughs for the stock. These are only to be
used in periods of drouth, unless their capa-
city is sufficient to afford regular supply.
You must never forget that the health of
your stock depends as much upon
pure water as your own.
Stagnant ponds and pools are Just as repul-
sive to their taste and rs deleterious to their
health as to yours,
The great enemy of these combination
buildings is fire. Often they and contents
are swept away in thirty minutes. The
greatest precaution is therefore always in
order. Lightning rods should be placed upon
them and no house in which fire is used
located within two hundred yards of them.
Then make itan memorable rule never, under
any circumstances, for friend or foe, to enter
there with lighted cigar or pipe. No farm
laborer, or yourself, should carry matches
about in the pocket. 1t is no exag-
geration to say five thousand gin houses have
been burned in the south by matches which
have fallen out of the pocket while picking
or housing cotton, and from thence been
thrown in the gin. They may get among
your fodder and hay in the same way. Pro-
vide good lamps for use at night and never
place them in other than trusty hands. Use
nothing but lard oil in them. The insurance
companies charge such exorbitant rates YOU
are obliged to take your own risk. You can
only. afford 10 do so with all these pre-
cautions.