67 



saturated, passes off mainl}- by evaporation. Witli little 

 veutilatiou or drainage below it, the clay rarely becomes dry 

 and the atmosphere of the stall is constantly saturated with 

 unhealthy gases (ammonia, etc.,) from the fermenting urine 

 and decomposing organic matter of the feces. Such un- 

 healthy conditions can be greatly improved by following the 

 methods usually adopted in Iniildiug houses in this climate. 

 The floor of the barn should be from two to three feet above 

 the ground ; this may be accomplished by making the brick 

 or stone pillars for underpinning the required height and 

 using strong plank two inches thick for flooring. 



Lattice work between the outside pillars will permit free 

 circulation of air under the barn and prevent the use of the 

 basement for a dog house, pig pen or as a place for fowls. 

 This will give good, cheap drainage below with excellent 

 under ventilaticm. The ventilation of the box stall (the best 

 and healthiest kind of stall) should be so arranged that the 

 hot and light air may escape through an opening or series 

 of openings in the upper part of the outer wall, permitting 

 it to pass directly out of the barn. Similar openings should 

 be located in the outer wall near the floor to allow the heavy 

 gases (carbonic acid gas exhaled by the lungs, etc.) to escape. 

 Besides these openings lattice box stall doors and lattice 

 outer hall doors and windows should always be in use for 

 summer ventilation. There may be objections (its hardness 

 and the drying out of the feet) to standing a horse on a plank 

 floor ; but these may be overcome by bedding or littering 

 the box stall ; by occasionally soaking the feet in water, and, 

 when nearly dry, oiling them with an ointment made of one 

 part of pine tar to eight or ten parts of lard or cotton seed 

 oil. The light should, as before mentioned, enter from be- 

 hind or from both sides of the animal ; in the box stall the 

 light should thus enter when the horse is standing at the 

 manger. Furthermore, the light should be sO arranged and 

 of suflicient quantity to enable the horse to see distinctly in 

 all parts of the stall. 

 The water supply and time of giving water to horses 



