284 The Farmstead 



tie in stalls are in use, some really good, but 

 mostly defective in one or more respects. It 

 would take too much sjDace to describe all of 

 the various contrivances and to illustrate them 

 and to call attention to their good and objec- 

 tionable points. Some confine the animals too 

 closely, others give too much freedom and allow 

 them to become soiled ; some are too expensive, 

 and some are not durable. I shall describe but 

 one kind of fastening and manger which, after 

 trying numerous patent arrangements, has been 

 found to be excellent. It is quite possible that 

 there are better ones. The one thing which 

 has been learned about stanchions by experi- 

 mentation and observation is that they may 

 be so complicated and handy as to be unhandy. 

 The size and character of the "drip," the 

 comfort and cleanliness of the animals, the ease 

 of fastening and unfastening, the noise or quiet 

 of the stable, and the effect on the animals, 

 should all be considered. While using one 

 stanchion, the animals became wild and made 

 frantic efforts to pull their heads out when the 

 attendant approached to unfasten them. As 

 soon as another fastening was introduced they 

 became docile. With one stanchion they would 

 lie down more frequently than with another. 

 With one kind of manger the animals are 

 tempted to hook one another, and in reaching 



