Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 002.djvu/66

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North, and the opposite sides have no Apertures. All the Windows are about a yard high, without any shutters, and run on in a continued Series, with very small partitions, sufficient onely to nail the Lettices to; Each of them is three or four Stories high, The Garret-windows are Jetty-wise, with a yards distance one from another, glazed out of the Tiles. The Ground or lowermost Story, is foot from the ground, is used onely for a a Warehouse, &c. To settle the first Story upon strong Pillars, fortified with Spikes of Iron, that no Vermin might get up, would make that Story fitter for drying of Corn, and more perflatile; especially where there is no rise of the lower Rooms. The other Stories, made for Granaries, are in breadth some 6 yards, and in height 6 foot or somewhat more. The uppermost or Garret-Granary to the Top or Angle, made by the railing pieces, much more. They have each in the midst from the sides at 8 or 9 foot distance, a strong Post; and all the Timbers made very strong, to support and bear the great weight of the Grain. The Boards best made of sound Oak, two inches thick, and close joynted. In some places they put, in all the inside of their Rooms, Ironwire, of so narrow Mesches, that neither Rats nor Mice can get thorow them, two or three foot deep. Others erect, on all the sides, Boards of Timber, and fasten others to the top of the Perpendicular, one lying either parallel to the Horizon, or so that they make an acute Angle with the former, to the same purpose. For, besides the devouring of the Grain, the Excrements and Urin of that Vermine, moistning the Wheat or Rye, make them apt to corrupt and breed Weivels.

The two main Considerables in building these Granaries, are, To make them strong, and, To expose them to the most drying Winds.

The Ordering of their Corn is this, In Kent, to separate the dust and other impurities in it, when 'tis thrash'd, they throw it in Shovels from one side to the other, which the longer it is, the better: by which means all such impurities remain in the middle betwixt the two heaps of Corn; which they skreen, to part the Corn, that is good, from the said impurities; then, when they first bring the Grain into the Granaries, they lay it about half a foot thick, and turn it twice a week, and once in that time skreen

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