STAIRCASE. 



STALL-FEEDING. 



786 



straight line, looks precipitous, or at lout ha* no dignity of appear- 

 ance. Another drcunuUnce which limits a staircase of this kind to 

 particular cam, U, that in order for it to produce proper effect, the 

 height to be ascended should be very moderate, hardly more than 

 seven or eight feet ; for else, the apaoe at the foot of the stairs looks 

 confined, and the upper flights scarcely show themselves from that 

 station. Hence, though it may be referred to as an instance of an 

 avenue staircase, the one leading to the keep or round tower at 

 Windsor Castle, U more remarkable than beautiful or grand, leaving 

 decoration out of the question ; the altitude ascended being so very 

 great. Sir John Soane has given some ideas of the kind in his designs 

 tor a ' Scala Regia ' a favourite subject with him. The staircase of 

 the Chamber of Peers at Pan*, designed by Percier and Fontaine, was 

 an example of the kind, but not the best, for the ascent was so great 

 that the columns on its sides, on the same level as the landing, looked 

 quite insignificant. The National Gallery, again, afforded instances of 

 a different modi6cation of the same arrangement, half the ascent being 

 by an external flight in tlu< vestibule, the remainder by another within 

 the corridor leading from it ; and though not exactly suited for such 

 a building, the idea is pleasing in itaelf and would produce a striking 

 effect, in one of less pretension. 



In public edifices or large mansions, whatever be the plan of the 

 principal staircase, it is generally branched, that is, there is first a wide 

 central flight, and then two other narrower ones branching off from it 

 one on each side, either at right angles to it or as return flights parallel 

 to it ; and it is hardly necessary to observe, that in all such staircases 

 the /uo<-pace are Urge, and that there are no winders. Extreme care 

 should, however, be taken in planning staircases of this (or indeed of 

 any) description for placet of public resort, as theatres, concert- 

 rooms, &o., to so design them as to produce the least possible hindrance 

 to the rapid passage of the audience in case of the occurrence of a panic. 

 The branched staircase at Goldsmiths' Hall, which is parted off from the 

 vestibule by a glazed screen, is an example of more than ordinary 

 splendour, being lighted by a dome. The branching flights at right 

 angles to the first, lead to a landing on each side, which has a 

 double screen of Corinthian columns, so that the view across from 

 side to side, in the upper part, is unusually rich. At Buckingham 

 Palace, there is first a very wide flight, entered from between columns, 

 branching off right and left in curved flights, the cage, which is 

 about 36 by 26 feet, being curved elliptically on those, sides or ends. 

 In this example, the stairs rest upon a graduated podium or wall 

 enclosing the space immediately beneath, which serves as a private 

 passage behind ; a mode frequently adopted in similar cases, being one 

 which contributes to solidity and "nobleness of appearance, and pre- 

 vents that mass of shadow beneath the stairs which gives a gloom to 

 the lower part of the staircase. 



Instead of there being a central flight below, the ascent frequently 

 begins on each side, and is carried up in one or more flights to the 

 common landing, where both branches terminate ; from which point 

 the stairs are sometimes continued, returning in an upper central flight, 

 which is carried across an arch thrown from that landing or half space, 

 to a higher landing. Staircases of this kind, which may be termed 

 bridge staircases, occur in the Custom House and the Auction Mart. 

 Their effect, however, is not good, because the upper suspended flight 

 or brul'je darkens the lower part of the staircase, and has a strangely 

 awkward cumbersome appearance when viewed from that station. At 

 the best, therefore, they are suitable only for places of evening resort, 

 where they can be lit up below as well as above. 



The staircase of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, claims notice, 

 not only on account of the richness oi the general design, but of some 

 peculiarities in its arrangement. Strictly speaking however, this 

 example can hardly be given as that of a staircase, according to the 

 usual meaning of the term, the stairs being mere flights of steps in 

 the entrance hall. That in the centre is a brood descending one, lead- 

 ing down to the libraries, which are on a lower level than the hall ; 

 and on each side of it is a rather narrower ascending flight to the 

 spacious landing carried around three sides of the hall, and serving as 

 a statue gallery. Though the lower area is only 32 by 26 feet, conse- 

 quently that of the floor very much less, owing to the space occupied 

 by the flights of steps, that of the upper part on the level of the land- 

 ing is 68 by 44 feet, the landing itself being about 17 feet wide. In 

 some degree similar in plan, although very different in design, is the 

 hall at Holkham, the seat of the Earl of Leicester, which has a noble 

 flight of steps within a recess or tribune enclosed by columns which are 

 continued along the sides of the hall. 



The grand staircase of the Reform Club-house, London, is an 

 example, somewhat unusual in this country, though common enough 

 in Italy, of what may be called an enclosed staircase ; the flights are 

 shut up between wads, and consequently there is no open well, nor can 

 the whole be seen at one view. A plan of this kind therefore differs 

 from the avenue staircase, merely in not being carried straight-forward, 

 but either returning in a parallel flight from the half-space or first 

 landing, or having the second flight at right angles with the first. 

 The last is the case at the Reform Club-house, where the staircase 

 consist* of three enclosed flights, the last being a return one to the 

 first, and landing upon the gallery around the upper part of the inner 

 hall or saloon. That at Burleigh too is similarly planned. The same 

 mode may be adopted for circular or semi-circular as well as rectan- 



gular plans ; and one advantage attending it is, that while the ascent 

 itself is as spacious and commodious as if the whole were entirely 

 open, there may be a secondary staircase for servant*, shut up within 

 the larger one. 



The architectural effect of a staircase will greatly depend upon the 

 mode of lighting it Where it is carried up only one floor, the best 

 mode is to light it entirely from above, either through a dome or 

 lantern in the ceiling, or by making the upper part of the walls just 

 beneath the ceiling a continued lantern. If there are windows em the 

 landings of the several flights, the effect will be improved by their 

 being filled with stained gloss, especially if towards a back court ; or, 

 if a conservatory can be carried out on the level of the first landing, 

 so as to show itself through glazed folding-doors, a very pleasing and 

 cheerful effect is obtained, even though the conservatory itself should 

 be hardly more than a glazed veranda. As to material, stone is greatly 

 preferable to wood for stairs, if only on account of greater security in 

 case of fire ; in lieu of stone, cast-iron may be employed. Marble is 

 very rarely used for stairs in this country, and whenever it is, it should 

 be left unpolished on the treads, or it would be dangerous to descend 

 them. The same remark applies to stairs of wainscot, unless they are 

 carpeted nearly their entire width. 



STALL-FEEDING. The feeding of cattle in stalls for the purpose 

 of fatting them more readily than by simple grazing, and at a time 

 when they cannot get fat on pastures, as a regular part of the process 

 of husbandry, is comparatively modern. In former times cattle were 

 slaughtered in October and November, which latter, in most languages 

 derived from the Teutonic, is called Slawjhtcr-mvnth, there being no 

 possibility of buying fresh meat of any degree of fatness during winter, 

 and salt meat was the food of all classes in that season. But now the 

 process of fatting cattle goes on without interruption during the whole 

 year, and fat beasts come as regularly to market in winter as in summer. 

 Stall-feeding is now the principal means by which oxen and cows are 

 rendered fit for the market. 



It has been observed, in the article SOILIXO, that one object of that 

 system was to save the waste of food which is occasioned by the tread- 

 ing of cattle in pastures, and by their choosing the sweetest grasses to 

 the neglect of the coarser. The principal object however is to save 

 the manure, which in the pastures goes to waste, but in the yards or 

 stall is all preserved. In stall-feeding another object is looked to, that 

 of increasing the substance of the animal, especially the fat ; and to do 

 this judiciously and with profit requires much experience and atten- 

 tion. It has been proved that animals require a certain portion of 

 meat and drink to keep them alive, and that this quantity, in the same 

 species, is in general in proportion to the weight of the animal. If an 

 animal has his exact ration of food, he will continue in health, but he 

 will not increase in weight : in this case therefore it only produces a 

 certain portion of manure, which is not equivalent to the food con- 

 sumed. If a larger quantity be given, the animal, if in health, will 

 increase in weight, and the more food he has, within a certain limit, 

 the faster will be this increase : but there is a point where increase 

 stops ; and if by any means the animal is induced to take more, his 

 stomach will be deranged, and he will become diseased, and occasion 

 loss by over-feeding. It is consequently of great importance to the 

 stall-feeder to ascertain what is the exact quantity of food which it 

 will be most profitable to give to a stall-fed animal. Experience alone 

 can teach this : but some rules may be given which will enable any 

 one who wishes to stall-feed cattle not greatly to err in his mode of 

 feeding, and soon to find out what is the most profitable course to 

 pursue. For this purpose it is essential that after having ascertained 

 by experiment the quantity of food which will give the greatest in- 

 crease of flesh per week on a certain weight of beasts when put up to 

 fatten, all the food given to the cattle be carefully weighed, and no 

 more be given in any day than is needful. The quality of the food 

 should also be attended to ; for a truss of fine well-made clover, lucern, 

 or sainfoin hay, may contain double the nourishment of another truss 

 of coarse marsh hay. The best kind of food should always be reserved 

 for fatting cattle. Roote alone are too watery, and must be corrected 

 by dry food, such as straw cut into chaff, or good hay, and espci i.illy 

 farinaceous food, whether it be corn ground or bruised, or oil-cake. 

 By a judicious mixture of food a much greater increase of flesh may 

 be produced than by an irregular mode of feeding, however good the 

 quality or abundant the quantity given may be. To overfeed is as 

 unprofitable as to starve a beast, and produces similar effects. It ix of 

 great importance that the cattle should be fed with great punctuality, 

 at certain hours during the day, and that the troughs should be < 

 of all the remains of food which they do not eat at each time of feeding. 

 Rest and sleep are great aids to digestion, and a little gentle exercise 

 after sleep prepares the stomach for a fresh supply of food. Air also 

 is highly conducive to health ; and hence those boasts which are 

 allowed to move about in a loose stall, or a small yard protected from 

 the rain and wind, thrive better in general than tlmse which are tied 

 up. It is the practice of many good feeders to put oxen in pairs in 

 small stalls, partly open, so that they may be in the air, or under 

 shelter, as they prefer ; and the finest oxen, if not the fattest, ai 

 ]red for the market in this way. Experience shows that all domestic 

 animals like company, and that they are more contented and quiet 

 when they have a companion than when they are alone. This is the 

 reason why they are put up ill pairs. Whatever promotes the health 



