LECTURE XXXVII. 



STABLING SUITABLE FOR BEEF CATTLE. 



Live stock farming can be successfully followed without 

 the aid of expensive stabling, but protection from the severe- 

 cold and wind must be provided. 



One must first study the conditions of his locality so that, 

 he may arrive at the best and cheapest methods to be used 

 in construction of a barn. He must also construct it so that 

 it will be adapted to the country, feed and animals. For in- 

 stance, in the eastern and north-eastern districts, where 

 plenty of stone is available, it is usually expedient to build 

 stone foundations or basement walls. 



The custom in localities where plenty of stone can be 

 obtained on the farm is that of building a side-hill or bank 

 barn. That is, they select a bank or side hill in order to 

 reduce the approach to the second floor to a minimum. Some 

 build stone walls all around the basement, while others only 

 use stone against the bank. When the bank wall is built of" 

 stone and the balance of the basement of wood, as a rule 

 the stable is not as damp as when the walls are all stone. 

 Brick may also serve the same purpose as the stone, but it 

 is very expensive for the average farmer. Such barns should 

 be well ventilated if the animals are expected to keep healthy. 

 Never allow the ventilator ducts to open near the ceiling, 

 as this has a tendency to draw off the warm air. It is always 

 better to have the air come in and go out near the floor of 

 the barn, so that an even temperature can be kept at all 

 times and as much of the heat conserved as possible. 



The above kind of barn is well adapted for conditions 

 where large quantities of roots, ensilage and foods of a sim- 

 ilar nature are fed. In such close, warm barns the food 

 required to keep up the heat of the animal body is reduced 

 to a minimum; and an abundance of feed can be stored in 

 the upper part of the barn. 



The construction of prairie or western stables, however, 

 is something which we are more concerned with than those- 



