Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-03-08
STATE HAS MODEL BARN
BEST DAIRY PLANT IN NORTH
WEST AT ASYLUM FARM.
Superintendent Steiner Combines All
New and Modern Ideas I'm Con-
struction of Building.

What is declared by experts to bC
Oregon's model dairy barn can nov
be found on the State Insane Asylum
farm, five miles southeast of Salem
1t ls said that visit to this barn will
repay any farmer or dairyman who Il
interested in up -to-date dairying meth.
DDS. The current number of the Pa
cific Homestead prints a picture of the
big barn and gives an interesting de-
scription of its arrangement, as fol-
lows:
I'VE publish in this issue of the
Homestead pictures of the exterior and
interior of the dairy barn at the farm
of the Oregon Insane Asylum, at Sa-
lem.
"Dr. R. E. Lee Steiner, superintend-
ent of the asylum, has, ever since his
appointment to that position, been
making special efforts to surround
this institution with as nearly perfect
sanitary conditions as is possible with
the means at his disposal. In this
campaign for sanitation DIR. Steiner
had the enthusiastic support of the
entire medical staff at the asylum,
consisting of Drs. Griffith, Tamiesie,
Robnett, and Evans.
The asylum keeps its own dairy
from which the milk is obtained for
use by the patients. DR.. Steiner has
long been impressed with the neces-
sity of pure milk, which he knew could
not be obtained from cows which were
kept in an unsanitary barn.
For months before the barn was
built, the doctor took the matter up
with everyone he met whom he
thought might know something about
dairy barns. We understand that the
Hon. A. G. Beals of Tillamook, gave
him very material help. In addition to
all of this, DR.. Steiner took a trip East
where he inspected many of the up
to-date barns.
Best Barn i'm Northwest.
This is, without doubt, the best
and most ically-constructed barn
in the Northwest, if not in the entire
United States. 1t is 1874 feet long, 43
feet inches wide, outside, and 20
feet to the caves; built on solid con-
crete foundation extending two feet
above the floor. The floor is of con-
crete throughout, with manure gut
ters and managers built in. A six-inch
fall in the length of the barn facili
tates the washing of the cutters, man
gers, ETC. The stalls Goo in number)
are of iron imbedded in the concrete
floor and provided with swinging STAN
giving the greatest possible
comfort to the cows.
Twenty-four large windows on
either side, each containing over
twenty square feet of glass, provide
of light and, being arrang-
ed to swing in at the top, let in plenty
of fresh air without draught, which,
with the King ventilating system, in
sure perfect ventilation. The cows ia e
out with a six-foot feeding alley along
either wall, with an eleven-foot man
ure alley through the center the en-
tire length of the barn. The entire
lower story is ceiled with corrugated
iron, painted white, and can be wash
ed with the hose at any time, water
for the purpose being piped to all
parts of the building. A HazelwoOd
machine has been installed
with a capacity of milking eight cows
At one time, the power for same being
by "a two-horse electric mo-
tor. The feed bins, motor and vacuum
pump for the milking machine, and
space for $50 tons of loose hay are
provided for on the upper floor.
An overhead litter-carrier system
IS installed as well as an overhead
from the barn to the
cooling room a distance of 600 feet,
where all milk will be taken at once
o be separated and cooled.
THE cows of this dairy are fire
luently tested for tuberculosis, as is
llso the milk for the presence of bac-
eria. The archaeological work is done
,y DIR. Bellinger, also a member OF
he medical staff.
This model dairy plant would he
Incomplete unless 1t were handled by
scientific dairyman. This has been
occurred in the person of Mr.. Nelson,
graduate Of the dairy department of
he oregon Agricultural College"