Arranging the Buildings in the Farmstead

A convenient and time-saving arrangement of the buildings in a farmstead is important to efficient agricultural production as is the factory arrangement in efficient industrial production. A good arrangement of buildings coupled with well-chosen equipment around the farmstead will reduce the time and labor of the farm operator to a surprising extent. A carefully worked-out study was made in a mid-western state to find out how many steps are saved on a well-planned farm. Instruments were used that accurately recorded the distance walked by the operator in doing similar work on the many farms studied, so their answer should be entirely reliable. It was found that the average farm operator walked 99 miles each month in doing the daily chores. This is a trifle over three miles a day. The man on the farm with the poorest arrangement of buildings walked 135 miles each month, while the man on the best arranged place walked only 49 miles a month. If these figures are multiplied by 12 for the 12 months in a year, it will be found that the man on the best arranged farm walked 600 miles less, in a year\u27s time, than the average of his neighbors. The amount of time required to walk these extra miles can be used advantageously by the owner in repairing machinery and equipment and in caring for the lawn and planting around the farm home. As efficiency increases in the farming operations, more time will be spent in better living conditions on the farm. While it is probable that in the future the tendency will be toward larger farming units, there will no doubt remain many farms of the subsistence type. The suggestions and principles outlined in this circular can always be used in locating the buildings for efficiency in any farmstead arrangement, be it large or small

A Septic Tank for Farm Sewage Disposal

The purpose of this circular is to show the plan for constructing an efficient and inexpensive septic tank for the disposal of sewage from the farm home. If properly installed and furnished with proper outlet tile, this tank will need no attention whatever, except the removal of the greater part of the sludge every 5 to 10 years

Poultry Houses for South Dakota

The South Dakota poultry house plans described in this circular were designed from a study of plans from other states, trials of houses on the College Poultry Farm, and after the suggestions of former Professor G. L. Stevenson, Clara M. Sutter, Professor W. E. Poley, and O. J. Weisner. The house is designed for the rigorous climate of the north central section of the United States. In the design of this house the cost item has been kept in mind constantly. A better house could be designed and built but not for the reasonable cost of this one. This house is designed for the majority of South Dakota farms and has already been built on a very large number of them. The slightest change in the plan of this house will probably make the inside conditions unsatisfactory in winter

The South Dakota Poultry House

The South Dakota Poultry House plan that is described in this circular was designed form study of plans from other states, trials of houses on the College Poultry Farm, and after the suggestions of Professor G. L. Stevenson and Clara M. Sutter. The house is designed for the rigorous climate of the north central section of the United States. In the design of the house the cost item has been kept in mind constantly. A better house could be designed and built but not for the reasonable cost of this one. This house is designed for the majority of South Dakota farms and has already been built on a very large number of them. The slightest change in the plan of this house will probably make the inside conditions unsatisfactory in winte

Self Feeders for Swine

The trend of modern methods of farming requires more time-saving machinery and equipment. This is particularly true of equipment for hog production. There is an ever increasing demand for better and time saving equipment in hog production. It was this demand for new ideas and plans for such equipment that led to the preparation of this circular. Plans in blueprint form are available from the Agricultural Extension Service for equipment shown in this circular when so stated at the end of the description. Please order by number. Most of these same plans will also be found listed in Extension Circular 323 which contains a list of all the plans and printed circulars having to do with building that are available at this time

Poultry Houses for South Dakota

Poultry houses for South Dakota discusses 16 and 20 feet frame houses, rammed earth houses, portable chick brooder and colony house, suggestions for remodeling old poultry houses, and a bill of material for a 32-foot house

Laying Out the Foundation for a Building

This publication provides guidance on the measurement of and materials necessary for positioning, squaring off, leveling, and determining the correct dimensions for a building foundation. It includes instructions for two methods of constructing right angle corners

A Movable Hog House Plan

Plans for a hog house that can be quickly and easily assembled. The movable hog houses can supplement centralized hog houses and promote good ventilation

Irrigating a One-Acre Garden

Garden irrigation is becoming a common practice even in humid regions of the United States. This is especially true of commercial gardens, and semi-commercial and private gardeners are rapidly taking up the practice. In humid regions it is not uncommon to have one or more dry periods during the growing season long enough to injure the quality as well as the quantity of the garden crops. One irrigation, if applied at the right time, will often bring the crop through such a period without injury. The water will be pumped in practically all cases and the purpose of this leaflet is to give a general idea of the cost of a small pumping plant and the way to go about securing one that will be satisfactory. Irrigating is not an easy task and it requires intelligent and painstaking planning to distribute water evenly and with a minimum amount of labor. A person who is not a good manager and a willing worker will not be successful at irrigating-even a good sized garden. On the other hand those who are good gardeners and enjoy the work will have no trouble in using a small irrigation pumping outfit under favorable conditions

Pit and Trench Silos

Pit and trench silos for silage discusses construction, advantages and disadvantages, the economics if plastered , soil testing before digging, size, and location