IN SCOTLAND.

141

1 3. Granaries.

To all arable farms of any extent, a granary is an essentialarticle of accommodation. The chief requisites for such are,to be conveniently situated, dry, well aired, and free from ver-min.

1 he most convenient situation for a granary is either overthe threshing floor, or adjoining to the end of it. The mostcommon situation, however, is above the cart-sheds, whichare usually at some distance from the barn. In this case,the corn must be carried from the barn in bags, and raisedto the granary by means of a small crane, or by a stair erect-ed for the purpose. When the granary is contiguous to thebarn, the labour is somewhat abridged, though a crane or astair be stiU necessary. But when it is placed above thethreshing floor, the corn is at once raised either by thethreshing machine itself, or by means of a crane or windlassfrom the ground floor, through a hatchway, and deposited inthe granary without exposure to the weather, and with thegreatest expedition and the smallest labour. The barn dooris so wide as to allow a cart to enter it backwards upon apiece of pavement; so that when the corn is to be sent to mar-ket, it is dropped into the cart through the hatchway, insteadof being carried on men’s backs, which is still too often thepractice even when a crane could be used with advantage.

It is often necessary to carry corn to the granary whenbut very imperfectly dried; and when it is kept for sometime, it contracts a disagreeable smell, however dry it may beat first. It is therefore of great advantage to place the gra-nary in an exposed situation, to give free access to air bymeans of sash windows, or boards overlapping each otherthat may be raised or shut at pleasure. The granary, whenplaced above the threshing floor, is so high as to give freeaccess to the air from all quarters without the interruption ofthe other buildings, or even of the. stack yard.