Forbid your men to use lucifer matches, smoke, or light pipes or cigars, destroy wasps’ nests, or fire off guns, in or near the rickyard, or to throw hot cinders into or against any wooden out-building on the farm, on pain of instant dismissal.
Place your ricks in a single line, and as far distant from each other as you conveniently can.
Place hay-ricks and corn-stacks alternately; the hay-rick will check the progress of the fire.
Keep the rickyard, and especially the spaces between the stacks and ricks, clear of all loose straw; and in all respects in a neat and clean state. The loose straw is more frequently the means of firing than the stack itself.
Have a pond close to the rickyard, although there may be but a bad supply of water.
When a steam thrashing-machine is to be used, place it on the lee side of the stack or barn, so that the wind may blow the sparks away from the stacks. Let the engine be placed as far from the machine as the length of the strap will allow. Have the loose straw continually cleared away from the engine; see that two or three pails of water are constantly close to the ash-pan, and that the pan itself is kept constantly full of water.
How to act when a Fire has broken out in a Rickyard.
Do not wait for the engines, nor for the assistance of the labourers from a distance. Depend entirely upon the immediate and energetic exertions of yourself and your own men.
Do not allow the rick or stack on fire to be disturbed—let it burn itself out—but let every exertion be made to press it compactly together, and, as far as is practicable, prevent any lighted particles flying about.
Get together all your blankets, carpets, sacks, rugs, and other similar articles, soak them thoroughly in water, and place them over and against the adjoining ricks and stacks, towards which the wind blows.