1883.] THE VENTILATION OP FARM BUILDINGS. 203 



tion in the abstract or rough; in detail it is very considerably more. 

 A good illustration of these currents of air can be made by holding 

 a lighted candle at the top of a door partially opened from a warm 

 room, the flame of the candle will be seen to draw outward, fol- 

 lowing the outgoing current of warm air; by placing the candle at 

 the bottom of the door the reverse takes place, the flame is drawn 

 into the room by the inrushing cold and fresh air. 



It is not the purpose of this paper to describe the various 

 mechanical contrivances for creating currents of air in close build- 

 ings, and thereby ventilating them, for their name is legion, and it 

 would only weary you in the recitation, should you wish to pursue 

 that branch of inquiry. I must refer you to works of architecture 

 and to builders' journals. The aim of this paper is to call attention 

 to the matter in the most forcible way that I can, in the limited space 

 of time that has been assigned me, which will only admit of 

 general rules. 



The admission of fresh air is a more difficult matter than the 

 removal of the vitiated. In our dwellings we can warm it before 

 admitting it to our apartments, or soon afterwards, but the nature 

 of our farm-buildings precludes the use of fire; our object is to 

 admit it in abundance, but not in such a manner as to create a 

 draft, or to chill the animals. This is best accomplished by bring- 

 ing the air from the exterior of the building, at a level with the 

 floor, in a board box at least ten inches square at the ends, and 

 running the length of the stable, or a suitable distance into it. 

 This box or trough should have small openings at regular distances, 

 which will divide the current of air, as a rose at the end of a hose- 

 pipe will divide the stream of water that flows through it ; or there 

 could be several of these boxes constructed on a smaller scale and 

 placed in suitable positions. If the barn cellar is not used for the 

 storage of manure, and is kept free from all articles that would 

 corrupt the air, the supply could be drawn from that locality, for 

 it is a few degrees warmer than the outside air. But the air of 

 cellars is generally as much defiled as that of the stables, and as 

 unfit for respiration ; in fact many cellars require ventilation more 

 than the structures that are built over them. 



It is not well to ventilate one apartment into another, for 

 nothing is gained but a little additional space. The tainted air of 

 a stable turned into a hay -loft will contaminate the fodder kept 



