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FAlliU-HOUSES AND OFFICES

14. Stack or Hick yards.

These are placed on a dry bottom near the barns, and in afree airy spot, well inclosed, with declivity sufficient to carryoff all surface water as soon as it falls. The proper inclosurefor a stack-yard is a sunk fence, with open railing on the top,which will freely admit the air to the bottom of the stacks *.The stacks, or ricks, are, in some cases, supported on a frameof wood, placed on stones, about eighteen inches high, ha-ving flat projecting stones at top, to prevent vermin from get-ting up. But by far the best mode of placing stacks is uponcast-iron pillars, more especially where stone cannot be had.These pillars arc two and a half feet long, having a roundcape or bound at the top, and another at the bottom, one footin diameter. After levelling the ground intended for the stack,so that all the pillars may stand perpendicular, they are plac-ed on the surface, and require neither building nor flag. Be-ing placed in this way, they can be removed with very littletrouble or expence. Vermin have no way of getting up cast-iron pillars of the above description; and neither rats normice have been found in any stack standing properly uponthem. Seven pillars are required for each stack, which costabout 50s., or 7s. Id. each; and the frame, which is madeof the very coarsest timber, may be valued, including work-manship and nails, at 8 s.; so that the whole costs 58 s. Atsome foundries, pillars may be had at 5 s. 6d. or 6 s. 6d. each;but these being slighter, a greater number in that case per-haps may be necessary. When bosses, or triangular framesof wood, also are used for the centre of the rick, the cornmay be stacked in half the usual time, if not less, and theexpence will be repaid in one year.

• BenvicVahire Report, p. D6, and East Lothian Report, p. 41.