FARM BUILDINGS. There is such variety in the char acter and management of agricultural holdings that there must needs be equally great variety possible in the designs of the farm buildings. The farmhouse and labourers' cottages could be in cluded under this heading, but they are omitted in this reference which will be restricted to the outbuildings.
Farms may be divided roughly into the following classes, pastoral farms, arable farms, mixed farms and dairy farms, but there are a great number of modifications of these systems. Local customs and climatic variations also have important effects upon the design of homesteads, but the chief aim in all cases is to have just those buildings which will satisfy the primary object of the farm, the suitability of each building for its purpose and its convenience for economic work being very important to ensure success in farming.
The usual homestead consists of several units bearing no rela tion to one another as a result of additions and alterations which have been made from time to time. This lack of proper arrange ment costs the farmer much time and labour which should be and can be saved if the buildings are in a compact group and well arranged.
They may be advantageously planned in one rectangular block because this form lends itself to their best arrangement for economy in the working of the farm. Such a plan results also in the saving of floor and roof areas, external walls and length of drainage and, in consequence, of erection and expense in main tenance.
The primary points which demand most careful thought and consideration are situation, water supply and drainage. As to situation, the best aspect is generally south or south-east because it admits of an arrangement by means of which the rays of the sun are able to visit every part of the steading at some time during the course of the day. With a view to easy disposal of drainage, the steading should be built on a slope and on, or within easy distance of, a public road in order to minimise the expense of the upkeep of private roads. It should be as near as possible to the centre of the farm, but this desideratum should not be allowed to outweigh the other considerations. Physical difficulties may be present to affect the question and in the case of some types of mixed farms it might be conveniently placed in or near to the centre of the arable portion, because the carting in such instances is a big item. Again, if a river or stream is available and capable of affording a constant supply of water throughout the year it might be placed next to it even if it were not in or near the centre of the farm by so doing.
The water supply, by whatever means provided, should be laid on at different and suitable points or, at any rate, the central source of supply should be in the most accessible and convenient places as regards the stable, cowsheds and yards.
The drainage requires two separate systems, one to deal with the roof and surface water and the other to carry off liquid manure. If the water is not collected for use from roofs the sur face drains may empty into the nearest field, ditch or pond. The liquid manure should be drained off on approved methods to a liquid manure tank which if possible should be placed in a central position so as to save expense. The liquid voided by live stock has a very high manurial value and should be properly conserved.
After these initial considerations attention should be given to the grouping of the buildings, and here the main principles are the same in nearly all classes of homesteads. The food department should be adjacent to the cattle sheds and communicate with them by means of internal passages ; the disposal of the manure should be convenient and the yards should be of economic size and accessible, so that the stock may be conveniently watered and fed.
For small holdings the number of buildings is reduced to a minimum and will consist of the barn to the north with cattle sheds adjoining to the south, thus keeping the food department close to the stock and satisfying the first principle of economic grouping.
From this nucleus extension may be made to any size of holding. Taking as an example a mixed farm of from three to four hundred acres, the block plan will consist usually of from three to four ranges of buildings. The north range is comprised of the taller buildings of two stories and provides the food department. On the ground floor of this range are, from left to right, the implement shed ; the root shed ; the mixing room in which all the food for the stock is prepared, the roots sliced or pulped and the chaff, corn and cake collected; the fodder store and the cart shed. On the floor above and over the root store extending to the cart shed are the cake room, chaff cutting room and granary. The chaff, cake and corn are delivered into the mixing room by means of traps or shoots. A feeding passage runs the whole length of this range on the ground floor and communicates with the cattle sheds which are generally placed at right angles to it and in the middle of the block, the yards being on either side of them. On a dairy farm, however, the cowsheds should be further away from the yards and may occupy the south range.
Covered yards, well ventilated, are best as they afford shelter both to stock and manure and for that reason are an improve ment on the old open yards; the manure made in them is often as much as 50% better than that produced in open yards.
Lighting and ventilation of all the animal sheds, as well as their drainage, should be of the most efficient kind. Light should be admitted through walls, roof or both where possible and ven tilation should be introduced by means of inlets at a low level and outlets at the highest points of the buildings. A free circula tion of cold, fresh air goes a long way to promote the health of the stock and give them a sound constitution but it is important that the backs of the animals should not be exposed to draughts. The floors of the cowsheds should be constructed of such material and in such a manner as to render it practicable to remove all liquid matter which may fall on them and the chan nels should be made of an impervious material.
A double cowhouse is proportionately less costly than a single one for a large number of cows. The cows may be planned to stand back to back or facing one another with a feeding passage down the middle of the building ; if sufficient width is given to the feeding passage the latter is probably the better arrangement but on the other hand it entails the keeping clean of two Bunging passages.
The cattle sheds and yards are bounded by the east, west and in some instances a south range which comprise the remaining structures needed to make the set of buildings complete for the object of the farm. These may include boxes, nag stall, trap house, tool-shed, workshop, etc. Stables should be sheltered, situated on a hard road and close to the cart shed. They should have an entrance from the road for the horses to enter and if possible an entrance into the yard for the manure to be thrown out.
The cart and implement sheds should not face a position where the sun and driving rain will damage the paint and warp and crack the shafts. From east through north to north-west is the best range of aspect.
Where a silo is to be included as a permanent structure it should be an adjunct to the food department and be placed on the north range. On dairy farms the piggeries should be kept separate and apart from the main block of buildings.
On hill farms where the main stock is sheep, there will be several field houses and beyond these the main consideration will be the farm house and stables.
Space does not permit a description of the lay-out of the other types of farm buildings but the general arrangement is the same except in the case of purely dairy farms. If the dairy is not part of the farm house it should be placed beyond the reach of any sort of contamination.
Carter, Farm Buildings (1922) ; J. C. Morton, A cyclopaedia of agri culture, vol. 1, and articles in the Journal of the Ministry of Agricul ture, vols. 29, 3o, and in the Cyclopaedia of American Agriculture, vol. i. (A. H. H.) United States.—Owing to the variety of types of farming, kind and quantity of stock or crops raised, economic conditions, topog raphy, climate and other local influences there exists a considerable variation in the design, equipment and grouping of buildings, even within a single State. For this reason only very general principles can be applied to the grouping of farm buildings ; each farm consti tutes a specific problem that must be worked out in the light of the existing conditions and particular requirements.
The cost of farm buildings, particularly dairy barns, is such that the farmer has difficulty in obtaining an adequate return on his investment. This has led to efforts to simplify and standardize farm building design. The ultimate aims in farm structures are economic durability ; economy of materials and labour in construc tion; arrangement and equipment to conserve time and labour in the performance of operations ; and the maintenance of conditions, such as temperature, humidity, light and ventilation, which may be most conducive to the welfare of stock and the preservation of stored crops.
For comprehensive discussion of the various structures and their grouping reference should be made to the publications of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to Agricultural Engineering published by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.