The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-06-23
Home Course In
Modern Agriculture
Farm BUILDINGS
By c. v. GREGORY,
ASrfculfuroI Dixjsfon. xoeuo State CoIle&s
Copyright. 1909. b. American Press Association

Of ventilation. By having the windows
swing inward from the top and provid-
ing triangular boards to close the ope
1ngs at the sides the incoming current
OF fresh air will be directed upward
against the ceiling and distributed
over the stable without causing q draft.
Cupolas may be placed on the roof to
carry OF the impure air. A cheaper
method Is to leave some Of the rafters
unlocked at the lower ends.
In case there are many dairy COWS or
young animals to be fed a silo is al
most a necessity. 1t should be located
at the end Of the barn nearest the cow
stable In order to lessen the work of
feeding. BY having the yard for the
young cattle close to the silo they can
be fed from 1t with little extra work.
A silo sixteen feet in diameter and
thirty feet high Is about the right size
for a 160 acre farm. The diameter
should always be small enough 50 that
two or three inches can be fed OF the
top each day. This insures fresh stlage
all the time. The greater number of
s11os In use at present are made Of
wooden slaves. These are cheap, and
If a good quality Of wood Is used they
will last a long time. Cement and
brick silos are practically indestructi-
bic, but are rather expensive. A new
type Of silo that is proving very salts
factory is made Of hollow building tile.
This material is as cheap as slaves and
lasts as long as cement.
For the young stock, fattening cattle
and sheep cheap sheds furnish ample
shelter. These can be made Of COM
mon boards well battened, with strong
cedar posts for a framework. The roof
should be water tight. A twelve foot
opening on the south will answer the
purpose of a door.
These sheds should be on high, we'll
drained ground and must be kept we'll
bedded. When this is done they are
fully as good as a more expensive
shelter. A separate lambing house
will. of course, have to be provided for
the ewes as spring approaches.
For the man who is making a spe-
cialty of hogs the "colony system" of
hog houses is probably the best. For
the average farmer, however, the extra
amount of work which this system in
wolves more than outweighs it's advan.
tages of cleanliness, freedom from dis
ease and keeping the hogs in smaller
punches. On most farms the central
hog house m nearest to meeting
the requirements. Along with it q few
individual houses are convenient for
hauling around to the stubble and clo-
yer fields or other places where the
hogs may happen to be located.
Little pigs need a great deal Of sun
light, and this, together with the liza
bility Of hogs to become diseased,
makes it imperative that the hog house
be provided with plenty of windows.
BY running it north and south and hav-
Ing a row of pens ON each side each
pen will receive an equal amount Of
sunshine. Where the building faces
the south the north row Of pens does
not receive its share of sunlight, and
the outside yards on the north of the
house are almost always shaded and
cold.
The floor, like that of the barn, should
be OF cement 1t is a good plan to ex-
tend it out about twenty feet on each
side to make feeding floors where the
hogs can be fed and watered without
getting in the mud. By having all pen
and yard partitions movable they can
be arranged for sows and litters Or for
fattening swine, as needed. A feed
room In one end of the building where
grain can be stored and feed mixed up
Is q great convenience.
A corncrib should be located close to |
one end of the feeding floors, so as to
save work when hogs are fattening. If