The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-03-06
BASEMENT BARNS.

str1ble.
A good basement is almost as neces
,ary for making complete farm barn
IS kitchen for farmhouse. The ad-
gantages of cisterns. root cellars. and
,ilo, are all much easier had in connec-
lion with the basement barn. 1t gives
he best winter quarters for keeping
farm stock, the safest, cheapest and
easiest way for storing apples. potatoes
and roots. If room is given for hous-
ing the farm wagons, they will last the
,onger, and their tires will not require
resetung as often. If rain-water fur.
nish drink for the cattle, summer and
winter, it is kept at a better temperature
for that purpose than in almost any
other way, when properly managed.
1t is the best as well as the most con-
venient place for housing the manure as
it is made. As for storing the manure
here, it will be Objectionable unless
rightly managed, when it will bn the
very best place for it.
The cattle stalls should be placed in
such proximity to where the horses are
kept that the manure from each will be
well mixed, as it is thrown back from
the animals; then the tramping down
will keep it cool and moist, though it
Is good plan to throw on little plas-
ter once or twice week. This will
keep it from steaming and smelling,
and help to rot it. 1t will be la condi-
ion to draw at any time as wanted.
But one very important consideration
in having this manure in COOL order at
all times is, that the coarse feed and
the bedding all have been passed
through the cutting machine before US
ing, to say nothing of the gaia for feed
ing purposes, or for use as bedding, for
all stock; TO have all hay. straw. stalks.
ETC., thus chopped before using, would
easily paw for all the cost of cult ne,
just for the better handling, quality
and condition of the manure from them.
Cisterns for such barn should al
ways be made in the bank outside and
above the barn, with a pipe near the
bottom to pass through the cellar wall,
and faucet and watering tub here for
the cattle; It will seldom freeze, and
should be as reliable supply as a
natural spring. A good root cellar is
provided by petitioning off such sized
room as needed for this purpose, at one
end. or in one corner OF the basement,
where the wall is well banked up on the
outside to keep out the frost. This
should be handy of ac1 ess from below,
by common doorway from the base
ment; but the windows for such root
cellars should in all cases be above the
wall. and the barn sill, and as that
naturally opens to the hay floor, a sec
ton of this floor is cut from be-
fore the window and housed over from
top of window, slanting down TO the
floor. so as to connect the windows with
the cellar below. The philosophy and
economy of this arrangement Is, first.
that a window can thus be had, with
out letting the frost into the cellar, as
it will when set in the wall. and so
much lower down; second, that in stor-
ing turnips or potatoes here. as the
famer usually conducts them by a shute
or spout through the window from the
bank above. if this can GO over the sill
i'm this way, it will deliver them near
the middle of the cellar, rs TO nearly fill
it. if necessary, without much extra
attention in winter IL guarding against
frost. A few places, something like
trap doors for each barn floor. will be a
necessity in a barn with a basement to
put down fodder. and through which
to dispose of the chat and the floor
cleaningS; but for the regular barn
floors. lbeie should never he made by
making an opening through them; it
makes too dangerous places to risk hay
ing them there; but an opening with a
slide door should be made at either side,
and ut convenient places. housed over
at the side of the bay, Tor putting it
down instead.
Some plan for ventilation is almost a
necessity in such barn. The cheapest
and most practical way to do this is by
making quite breadth of open lattice
work in each gable of the barn, instead
OF gabc windows. and beside making a
three or four foot flue up from the eel
lar 10 near the top of the barn, inside.
This, will. naturally, have draft to
give ventilation. and the open gables
wll discharge it. The best place foI
the vent iiue Is from over the hay of the
cellar stairway; then the place is kept
fresh, and the rising gases are carried
off instead of accommodating here. As
for these latticed gables, they should
each have light. plain section of bat
tened boards, hung by strap hinges.
aud controlled by cord and pulley so
as 10 be opened and shut from the barn
fiolr below These and the Lattice
work are much cheaper than the gable
window and will prove much more ell
Gent Another thing SUCH a barn viii
need, and for something more, too than
iust for an ornament, will be vane, SO
the farmer can, at glance, see what
the course of the wind is. Many
lines il is quite necessary he should
know this before deciding about HE
work for the day, and with vane
mounted on his barn he can bc assured
about if before going ou'. There IL
usually change in the course OF the
wind in passing the buildings, and be-
SIDE if they are sheltered, as they should
be. by orchard and trees on the lawn.
and other planning of forest trees fOf
ornament. wind-breaks and groves.
then the course and force of the prevail
ing wind is so much INSTRUCTED by these
that it would prove a necessity for one
needing 10 learn its course.
The bara basement and cellar rather
indicate and invite the keeping of stock
and feeding of roots. making of it a
sort of manure manufactory to supply
re home demand on the farm. This is
very cOmmendable winter work for the
thrifty farmer, and this kind of a ba:n
offers him the best advantages for doing
it I.roiitably. In caring for these roo S.