218 THE HORSE 



prevailing desire to have the front of the stable due south is a mistake." 

 The reasons for coming to this conclusion are grounded upon the fact, 

 which is undeniable, that a more even temperature can be maintained 

 if the situation is sufficiently sheltered from the stroke of the wind. 

 No doubt, a southerly aspect allows the sun to enter with great power 

 in the summer; but my experience does not lead me to believe that 

 flies are less likely to get in through a door or window open to the 

 north, than through similar openings looking south. Mr. Miles even 

 objects to the heat of a winter's sun, which, he says, in the middle of 

 the day, makes the stable almost as hot as in the summer ; the heat being 

 often suddenly succeeded by a degree of cold approaching the freezing 

 point. Here, again, I certainly cannot follow him, and I should hail 

 with pleasure any beams of the sun 1 which show themselves between 

 November and March, either in the stable or kennel. Animal life is 

 always benefited by the direct rays of the sun, although, when the heat 

 produced by them is intense, the mischief done is so great as to counter- 

 act the advantage. Still, in the winters of this country, such a thing 

 is not, in my opinion, to be dreamt of, as a properly ventilated stable 

 becoming too hot, and I look upon Mr. Miles' conclusions as being 

 considerably strained when he is arguing in favour of a northerly 

 aspect. I do not mean to assert that, on the whole, he is wrong, but 

 that his arguments are based upon certain assumed facts which I 

 hesitate to accept. 



FOUNDATIONS 



IN MOST CASES stables are not built of more than the basement storey, 

 with a loft over, which is generally, almost entirely, constructed in 

 the roof; the walls, therefore, are not high, and do not require deep 

 foundations, even if they are built on clay, which is more liable to 

 cause cracks, etc. than any other species of soil of a uniform character. 

 It is a very common plan, on this account, to lay the foundations of 

 any kind of coarse and stony material ; but if this is done, a course 

 of broken slates should be laid in cement a little above the level of the 

 ground ; or, instead of this, a course or two of hard bricks should be 

 laid in the same material, so as to prevent the damp from striking up the 

 walls by capillary attraction. A neglect of this precaution has, in several 

 instances within my own knowledge, kept stables damp in spite of atten- 

 tion to drainage and a resort to all sorts of expedients which could be 

 carried out subsequent to the building of the walls. 



THESE REMARKS are intended to apply to the generality of stables, 

 but it will be self-evident that such equine palaces as we find in the 

 newer parts of Kensington and the West End of London need very deep 

 and strong foundations. Iron enters very largely into their construction, 

 the best architects and builders are willing to engage in such work, and 

 everything is done for the comfort of man and beast. 



1 Abundance of scientific proof has since been adduced. Perhaps none better than 

 the test applied to the waters of the Danube, samples of which were taken every few 

 minutes for twenty-four hours, when it was found that the largest number of microbes 

 were present in the darkest hours and the fewest in presence of the mid-day sun. EJ. 



