28 BOxVRI) OF A(;ilICULTUEE. [Pub. Doc. 



Light and Ventilation. 



These are easily obtained, and, altliougii absolutely essen- 

 tial to the best health of the herd and the economic pro- 

 duction of clean milk, they are rarely appreciated. Two 

 things almost lacking, or at least inadequately sup})lied in 

 dairy barns, are light and pure air. As we ride through a 

 dairy section we find very few barns well lighted ; many 

 barns are not provided wdth any system of ventilation what- 

 ever, as but few dairymen realize that pure air is just as essen- 

 tial to the economic production of untainted milk as is the 

 food a cow consumes. Digestion and assimilation, like the 

 burning of coal in a stove, are processes of combustion ; 

 the stove may be filled with coal, but if the drafts are kept 

 tightly closed the coal will not burn, as sufficient oxygen is 

 not provided. Neither can a cow's feed be properly digested 

 and assimilated without an abundance of oxygen ; and, 

 unless this is supplied, a great waste of food, as well as im- 

 paired health to the cow, will result. Have plenty of win- 

 dows, so as to admit a flood of sunshine. The barn should 

 be light, clean and sweet, free from odors, and so arranged 

 as to secure the sanitary re(|uirements and the quiet so essen- 

 tial for dairy cows. 



The number of feet of air space that should be allowed for 

 a cow is of little consequence in comparison with the more 

 important question of ventilation, or change of air. One 

 writer thinks that each cow should be supplied with 31,540 

 cubic feet of air an hour. The size of the ventilating flues 

 will depend on the number of cows in the stable. To pro- 

 vide air for twenty cows, a flue 2 feet square will be suffi- 

 cient. 



Whitewash, — its Advantages. 



The stable should be whitewashed at least twice a year, — 

 spring and fall. The interior of the stable should have a 

 smooth surface ; ceiling should be tight, excluding all chaff 

 and dust from above. In our travels among farmers of the 

 State, how many stables do we find whitewashed? Do we 

 not find most of them with a few boards laid overhead at 

 irregular intervals, with hay hanging through, and Avith the 



