The Canton times., 1903-05-15
AN IDEAL DAIRY BARN.

excavation of two or three feet be
made at that side, it will make the
bridge less steep. This would neces-
state building wall to come above
the ground; but for the sake of the
stable, it should be no higher. Let
none of the other foundation walls
be higher than necessary to just
keep out surface water and protect
sills from decay. Woodwork is less
expensive than masonry, and will be
dryer and more healthful for the
cows. The stable should be at least
eight feet to ceiling, and the stor-
age part of the barn above the stable
16 feet to square. If built with
hip roof, more storage room above
will be had than under a common
pitch roof. A hay hole directly over
the feeding alley, and a similar hole
behind each row of COWS, for put
ting down hay and straw, will serve
the additional purpose of ventilation.
At least four ventilating fues, of
capacity equal to about six inches in
diameter, should start about a foot
from the floor, two back of each row
of cows, and against the outside of the
stable, made preferably of galvan-
lied sheet iron and end in one or
more discharges, we'll above comb of
roof. I have made provision for a
number of windows in the cow sta
bic, where there should be all the
good sunshine and light possible to
secure. There are two box stalls
for COWS to freshen in, or. in case
of sickness; also, two calf stalls and
two silos, as calves from good cows
should be raised and they and their
dams fed good corn silage the year
around.
The framework of this barn should
be of plank designs, saving for the
builder, in comparison with the old
heavy framed structure, time, money
and timber. The cost of the build
ing will depend, of course, upon the
cost of material and labor; but by
using the plank frame and as much
ordinary labor as possible in mailing
up frame, I should expect to build
such a barn as I have suggested, and
at least one of the silos, for the $500.
The hangers, or troughs, should be
built low, so the COW, when standing
or lying, would have her head over
the trough. It is quite a labor for
a COW lying on a platform short
enough to keep her clean to get up
if the trough is so high that her
head goes under it. / prefer the bot
tom of the trough two inches from
the floor, so air may circulate under
it. The side of trough next the COW;
if ten inches high, will not interfere
with her lying, and will be high
enough to hold her feed of silage and
meal or fodder and hay. From the
feeding alley to the side of the ma
nure gutter should be seven feet at
one end of the stable and six and
half at the other, for medium cows;
the longest cows being put at the
seven-foot end and the shorter grad
uated to the other. The manure gut
ter should be ten inches deep next
the cow and six inches next the
walk; IA inches wide and cemented
to save all manure. cement two feet
from gutter under the cows. allowing
their front feet to be on clay. This
allows me also to build stall partitions
by putting posts firmly in the ground
10 save an Objectionable wilderness Of
posts and braces running to ceiling.
where they obstruct the view, the sun.
light and the freest circulation Of air.
IN. Y. Tribune-Farmer.