EEPOBT ON THE TRANSIT OF STOCK. 483 



could be placed. This would put the hay within the reach of all 

 the animals, and although an objection might be made to this 

 method, from the interference with ventilation which the hay 

 would cause while on the net, yet it can hardly be supposed that 

 a lot of hungry sheep would allow it to remain long enough above 

 them to cause any serious harm in this way, and therefore such 

 a system may be practicable, as neither the expense nor the dif- 

 ficulty of erecting the net can be pleaded against it. 



Water is difficult to supply from the outsides, because the 

 sheep in the centre of the truck are beyond its reach, unless the 

 animals could be moved round a little within the trucks ; but 

 this would cause a good deal of labour. Any system of supply 

 inside the trucks, however, would certainly require a great deal 

 more, and an arrangement of watering-troughs, similar to those 

 recommended for cattle, but adapted for sheep, is suggested. 

 These would require to be placed lower, and closer to the trucks, 

 than for cattle, and would be altogether smaller and less expen- 

 sive. Then, to enable the sheep to drink from them, a plank in 

 the sides of the truck, at a suitable height, would require to be 

 hinged, and made to fold down inside like a door. This latter 

 part of the arrangement would be extremely simple, and the con- 

 struction of suitable troughs does not seem a very difficult matter 

 either ; so that although this system might sometimes fail to 

 reach every individual sheep, it would perhaps afford the greatest 

 facility to the greatest number that can be achieved in a simple 

 and easy way. 



Before dismissing the sheep, we recommend as the best truck 

 for its conveyance the ordinary cattle truck now in use, without 

 a roof, but with a light framework over which a tarpaulin might 

 be stretched when the inclemency of the weather required the 

 shelter of a roof. 



Pigs. — These, as may be anticipated, suffer even more than the 

 preceding kinds of stock during transit by rail. They are usually 

 put into cattle trucks, and left to take their chance against the 

 evils of the way, without attention of any kind. Being naturally 

 highly susceptible of cold, they suffer more perhaps from this 

 than any other cause, although the want of food and water also 

 affects them most severely. The first thing towards the im- 

 provement of their condition during transit is to place them in 

 closed, covered, and ventilated trucks, such as are recommended 

 for cattle. In these also should be fixed movable sparred floors, 

 as recommended for pigs in steamers, that they may be able to 

 lie dry ; and if a covering of straw could be added, their comfort 

 would be most materially increased. 



In regard to food and water, the only thing that can be done 

 is to supply them with liquid food by means of light movable 

 troughs placed inside the truck. This certainly would entail a 



