SECRETARY'S REPORT. 251 



sets of spars, 2| inches wide and 2^ inches apart ; the outer 

 being fixed ; the inner slides riglit and left, so that the admis- 

 sion of air is simply regulated by the inner slide. 



The stable doors are 4 feet wide, and like those of the barns, 

 slide flush with the wall, on rails ; and to facilitate the move- 

 ment, they are provided with castors running on the rails, and 

 small wheels on both sides near the top. 



The building facing the east side of the yard is the cattle 

 barn, which is capable of accommodating 52 head of cattle. It 

 is 98 feet long by 32 wide. There are two rows of cattle facing 

 each other, and separated by a feeding passage 6 feet wide run- 

 ning the whole length of the building. This passage is lined 

 on either side with cast metal rails or lattice work, which rise 

 2 feet above the troughs, and are attached to the cast-iron 

 partitions. The space from the feeding passage to the side 

 walls is appropriated thus : — Stand (to channel) 8 feet ; chan- 

 nel, 14 inches wide (and 4 inches deep) ; passage behind 

 animals, 3 feet 10 inches. The stalls are double, i. e., the space 

 between each pair of partitions is for two animals. The parti- 

 tions in the southern half of the building are 7 feet apart, which 

 gives 3 feet 6 inches as the width of eacli lair. In the northern 

 half, generally occupied by the smaller breeds and young stock, 

 the partitions are 6 feet apart, which gives each animal a space 

 8 feet wide. 



The feeding troughs are made of slate slabs. The side slabs 

 incline outwards, particularly the front one. The dimensions 

 are — Front, 16 inches ; back, 12 inches ; width at bottom, 12 

 inches ; top of front to that of back slab, 21 inches. 



The channels behind the animals have been constructed in a 

 very substantial manner. Perforated cast-iron plates cover a 

 conduit of granite, semi-circular at the bottom, and having 

 several openings communicating with a very copious liquid 

 manure tank. When it is desirable to remove any sediment 

 that may collect in the conduit, the cast-iron plates are removed. 

 The feeding and other passages are paved with granite. The 

 cattle floors on one side of the barn are paved with brick, hav- 

 ing a fall of an inch and a half; on the other side the flooring 

 consists of wooden spars nine inches wide and separated by one- 

 inch interstices. About six inches beneath these spars is a solid 



