Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1919 — BARN IS FARMER’S BEST INVESTMENT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BARN IS FARMER’S BEST INVESTMENT

Modern Building Increases Production, Lessens Labor. IDEAL STRUCTURE IS SHOWN Plana Provide far Cembinatlon Dairy and Horae Stable—Bringa All the Live Stock Under One Roof. By WILLIAM A. RADFORD. Mr. William A. Radford will answer questions and give advice FREE OF COST oa all subjects pertaining to the subject of building work on the term, for the readers of this paper. On account of his wide experience as Editor. Author and Manufacturer, he is, without doubt, the highest authority on all these subjects. Ad drear all Inquiries to William A. Radford. No. 1827 Prairie avenue. Chicago, HI., and only Inclose three-cent stamp for reply. “Better barns mean better and more productive cows.” That is the axiom of the successful business farmer. Cows are valuable. More valuable than they have been in the history of the-dairying Industry in America. As profit producers they stand at the head of the live stock division of the farming industry. When the owner of a dairy herd demonstrates to himself that a warm, well ventilated stable causes greater milk production at the time of the

year when milk brings the highest price, he wonders why he did not build such a barn before. And’when, with the modern barn equipment, he realizes that a great part of the unpleasant work about the barn can be performed easily and with less .effort, he is as keen for modqrn conveniences in the barn as he is to have them in the house. A comfortable cow is the best revenue producer. A cow that is cold, that is allowed to go thirsty until given times in the day does not produce the quantity of milk she is capable of giving. In a cold barn, that is poorly ventilated, a cow must consume greater quantities of food to keep herself warm. In a tight stable a greater portion of this food is converted into milk. Running water in the barn, where the cow can take a drink whenever she wants one, also means greater milk production. “Put the water into the milk, only do it before instead of after milking” is the advice of the successful dairyman. Good Building* Reduce Waste. During the last two years, the business farmer has been making money.

But he has realized that with the proper buildings he could have eliminated much of the waste around the farm, and have made mote profit. Now he has a chance to get the buildings that have been denied him dflring war. A combination dairy and horse barn, such as is shown in the accompanying illustration, is the ideal building, since it brings under one roof all the work of caring for the live stock. Constructed with’a trussed rafter gambrel selfsupporting roof, arranged conveniently so that the work can be performed with the least number of steps, equipped with all the labor-saving devices, and built as sanitary as bams can be made. This building will prove a valuable addition to the farm group. While this bam will add much to the attractiveness of the farm landscape, what will appeal to the business sense of the farmer is its interior. The floor plan that is shown gives the details of its arrangement. The main or cow stable, part of the barn, is 3t

by 98 feet. The horse barn forms M ell and la SO feet by 88 feet Adjoining the rear of the cowbarn are two 14 feet in diameter. Accommodates 8B Cows. The cow stable Is designed to accommodate 34 animals in slngtb stalls, and four others in pens. The cows are faced out, a feed alley, five feet wide, being between th* wall and the line of stanchions. The litter alley runs through the center of the building and is eight feet four inches wide, forming a driveway through the barn. The advantage of this airangem«t is that a team cap be driven In one door, pass between the stalls, and go out at the other end of the building. At the rear of the cow barn are two feed rooms, connected with the silos. There also is a toilet room here. The horse barn will accommodate ten anlmirfs, eight in stalls and two in box stalls. The farm office is at one side of the entrance and the harness room on the other. While only the general scheme of equipment for this building is shown, the plans contemplate the use of many specialties that make for efficiency m doing the work required. The door* are equipped with storm-tight, easy rolling hangers; drinking water Is piped to individual drinking cups at each stall, providing clean, fresh water at all times of the day or night; feed and litter carriers on overhead tracks make the distribution of food and the removal of manure easy. In the hay loft, a carrier is provided. Careful provision has been ifiade for .ventilation, one of the most Important features of the modern dairy and horse barn. There are air pumps or cupola ventilators on the roof, three large ones on the ridge of the main section of the bam and a fourth on

the wing. These aerators pull the foul air out of the. stables through well insulated foul air flues. Fresh air comes in through the windows as they are tilted back at the top, resting on galvanized iron window ventilating shields. With these the fresh air is deflected to the stable ceiling, where It diffuses gradually; no direct draft blows against the animals. Sunlight is nature’s greatest germ killer. Plenty of windows are provided in this barn. Taken all together, the plan shown gives all the practical features that a modern bam should have to make the animals comfortable and productive. There Is another side to the question of whether or not a strictly modern bam building with all the best equipment is a good investment. That is a human side. • Much Labor Eliminated. Fanning is the country’s greatest business. But in the past there have been many disadvantages that nave driven the young men from the farm. The work under the old conditions Was not pleasant, especially that In the barn. But when there is a con-

crete floor, with gutters into which the dirt can be washed; when there are carriers that take the food to the mangers and the manure out; and water at each stall, so that none has to be carried, or the animals .driven to an outdoor water trough, which in the winter was usually frozen, there la none of the arduous labor taking care of the livestock that there was in the past. A modern dairy and horse barn is one of the best paying investments the farmer can make. It 'will bring large returns in both money and satisfaction. It will lighten the work of caring for the live stock and c.ut the labor cost on the farm. Leaving out all considerations of heeding the government’s call to “Build a Building” in order to provide employment for the returned soldiers, building a barn that will provide a clean, convenient and sanitary home for the live stock Is the farmer’s best investment.

Floor Plan of Combination Barn.