KEEPING OtfE COW. 



127 



In this plan the floor A and C would require to be finished hi 

 brick and cement, or concrete. 



The warmth of the stable might, at times, develop a too rapid 

 fermentation of the manure. This would be checked by working 

 the pile and by forking it over. 



But to secure perfect cleanliness, purity of air, and freedom of the 

 hay stored above from the odors of fermentation going on in the 



Fig. 25. SECTIONAL VIEW OF STABLE. 



dung heap, the manure would be better placed outside of the 

 stable walls, as suggested in figure 26 (see next page). 



The bottom of the manure bin is only twenty- lour inches below 

 the surface, as on level ground the labor of raising the manure 

 from a deep cellar would be disproportionate to the advantages 

 of the depth. The floor of the stall should be laid in brick and 

 cement, or in concrete, as should be the floor and lower walls of 

 the manure bin. The floor of the stall should be kept covered 

 with dry earth, leaves, sawdust, or spent tan-bark; and the bottom 

 of the bin should be covered to the depth of several inches, with 

 similar absorbents. In the absence of these to-be-preferred ma- 

 terials, weeds, straw, or other dry vegetable refuse, may be used. 

 With the gutter sufficiently inclined, the excessive urine will of 

 itself flow readily to the bin ; the solid matter should be removed 

 twice daily, just before the cow is milked. The gutter should be 

 washed down wilh a paii of water daily, and sprinkled with gyp- 

 sum (sulphate of lime). The manure pile, as it increases, should 

 be constantly commingled with fresh absorbants. This is most 

 readily and economically clone by baiting a pig with a handful of 

 maize cast on the manure in the bin. The lusty porker will go 



