Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-01-01

Imagine, if you can, forty fine, sleek
Holstein cows. twenty in row.
standing back to back, with their
heads in metal stanchions, and their
tails fastened in holders to prevent
them becoming soiled; see in your
minds eye the contentment of these
animals as they stand or lie, munchins
their clover hay or chewing their cuds'
and you have a picture OF the milch
COW department of what is declared to
be the finest dairy barn in Iowa.
This barn, just completed by c. II.
Hicks, two and half miles northeast
of the city, is veritable palace for
cows. Clean and sanitary, electric
lighted, we'll ventilated, and equipped
with the most modern ccnveniences for
the care of the stock, it is no wonder
that the owner and his boss herdsman,
Albert Miller, show the visitor thru
the place with pride.
Looks Like Public Building.
From view of the big barn at a
distance, out on the Nicholson's Ford
road, the stranger would ask immedi-
ately, What public building is that
Grouped with it are two other barns,
one for sheep and the other for hogs
and feeding cattle. The group repre-
sents an investment of s2S.800, slS,50O
Of which has been put into the dairy
barn.
Hicks new dairy barn is 45x145 feet,
thirty feet to the caves, basement and
two stories above the ground. The
basement section, where the cows are
kept, practically is fire proof, built OF
cement and hollow tile, and steel cell
ing With the patent stanchtons are
metal self waterers, where the cows
by sticking their noses into the con-
tainers, release the water. which flows
as long as they care to drink. The
floor Of each stall Is OF cork brick.
to make 1t easier on bossy's feet.
Attention Paid to Ventilation.
Much attention has been paid by the
architect to ventilation. which Is af-
forded by windows to the north and
south, which open from the bottom on
slant, and are protected on both
sides so that no direct draft can be re-
ceived by the cows. The fresh air en-
ters at the ceiling, and the foul air is
removed thru two large ventilating
shafts, 4x5 feet, which extend up thru
the two stories above. In the most
severe weather these may be closed, or
left partially open. as the weather de-
ynands,
In cleaning the barn all water used
flows by gravity to one point on tho
south side of the barn, and Is carried
by an eight inch sewer into thing and
empties forty rods to tho south, in q
pasture, The manure Is hauled out
of the building in an automatic dump
| which runs on track tho entire
length of the building,
If, however, it is desired that the
manure be received directly into q
manure spreader, for immediate use
as fertilizer the offal may be put into
the spreader at any point in the barn,
for between tho two rows of COWS
there is ample room to drive wagon,
or motor truck.
SiIo Adds to Appearance.
Altho built separately, but attached
to the building at the bottom, is a fine
siIo, eighty feet high, and sixteen feet
in diameter, made of glazed hollow
tile To the aspect Of the plant from
the road the silo adds greatly, Great
ing an imposing, and tower-like APP
pearance. Mr.. Hicks has added a pa
| trtotic touch to the silo by painting
enough Of the tile red, white and
| blue, to form border near the top,
and from the top floats the stars and
stripes,
Calves Not Forgotten.
Leading off to the south from the
! dairy section Of the barn is an IL
30x36 feet, built to accommodate the
calves, cows which are soon ia fresh
en-, and the herd bull. Pens for the
little ones ara arranged and their oc-
cupants are classified according to
age. AS the Hicks herd il large
enough to add an average Of a calf q
week to the family, It 10 necessary
that the calves be given az much at
tantion as their elders,