200 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



where the cows may lie at perfect ease during the intervals between 

 feeding, must contribute toward a higher productive power. No person 

 can get a night of undisturbed restful sleep under conditions where the 

 air is foul from inadequate ventilation, and so it is in a stable crowded 

 with stock where there is an insufficient movement of air through it. 

 Sound sleep, strong digestion, complete assimilation and high produc- 

 tion can only be secured in well ventilated and otherwise comfortable 

 stables where the winters are severe. 



TEMPERATURE OF STABLES. 



The bodily functions only go forward normally when the tempera- 

 tures within the tissues are maintained at about loi degrees F. for the 

 horse; 102 degrees for the cow; 103 degrees for the pig and 104 

 degrees for the sheep. When the surrounding conditions are such that 

 heat is lost rapidly from the body, there is no other alternative than that 

 the internal energies of the body must be turned into heat to a sufficient 

 extent to make good the loss. Observations have demonstrated that, 

 in the case of a man at rest and fasting under a room temperature of 

 59 degrees, the consumption of oxygen in the body and the loss of car- 

 bonic acid from it was 13 per cent greater than it was when the body 

 was placed under a surrounding temperature of 90 degrees. This means 

 that to maintain the loss of heat from the body at the lower temperature 

 13 per cent greater transformation of assimilated materials within the 

 body was taking place, and that there was this much less left for other 

 work ; or, if there was no reduction of other work, that a larger amount 

 of food must be taken into the system and assimilated there. 



We have as yet no sufficiently exact and extended observations 

 to make sure what are the best stable temperatures for stock. We know 

 that it may be some degrees below 72 degrees F. for dairy cows. It 

 is quite certain, too, that the best temperature will be found to be some de- 

 grees above freezing, perhaps between 45 degrees and 60 degrees for 

 cows being fed high for milk and between 50 degrees and 65 degrees 

 when they are on a maintenance ration. But to maintain such temper- 

 atures as these during our winters north of the Ohio river requires 

 the construction of warm stables ; and where warm stables are built for 

 any considerable number of animals provision must be made for adequate 

 ventilation. 



VOLUME OF AIR WHICH SHOULD MOVE THROUGH A STABLE. 



From various considerations we have assumed that we will be on 

 the safe side if an air movement through the stable is maintained at 

 such a rate that the animals are at no time compelled to breathe air 



