1 1 6 The 'Book of the Goat. 



round. For the same reason the chain and spring hook 

 attached to the collar should not exceed icin. in length. 



Those who wish to carry out the work at as cheap 

 a rate as possible should purchase some empty American 

 bacon-boxes sold at lod. each by wholesale provision 

 merchants. The boards of which these are made are 

 just the right height and thickness, and, being 

 " matched," may, if the boxes are taken to pieces care- 

 fully, be put up for the partitions and fronts of the 

 stalls, and be made to look quite as well as new wood, 

 especially if coated with paint or varnish. 



S'parred Floors. 



In some goat-houses it is the practice to use sparred 

 floors, on Mr. Bryan Hook's plan, by which the goats are 

 raised from the ground some 4in. or so. These floors 

 are shown in the accompanying illustration (Fig. 17). 

 Litter is here dispensed with, but a little peat-moss, finely 

 broken up, should be placed beneath the floors to absorb 

 the moisture. The objection to these floors is the extra 

 labour entailed, as they require to be placed in the open 

 air every day to purify whilst the goats are at pasture, 

 and once a week they should be scrubbed. It may be 

 interesting to mention with reference to the illustration 

 that the white goat represents a pure Maltese, whilst the 

 other was Ondine, an Anglo- Nubian-Toggenburg, both 

 splendid milkers in Mr. Hook's herd some fifteen years 

 ago. 



flan of Goat-house. 



In order to assist any reader who is desirous of either 

 building a goat-house or adapting some already-erected 

 structure for the purpose, I give a plan showing 

 the most advantageous and commodious arrangement 

 for a stable, based on the system I have myself 



