122 Barn Construction. 



lie down. If narrow (the width of a scoop shovel 

 and little more) the cows can easily step across it, 

 whereas, when it is only four or five inches deep and, 

 as usual, eighteen inches wide, they must step down 

 and into it in getting to and from their stalls. The 

 most satisfactory drop with which I ever had experi- 

 ence was one sixteen inches deep, and twelve and 

 one-half inches wide. 



There are some iron gratings which give satisfac- 

 tion, in which case the trench is made to hold three 

 or four days' or a week's droppings, so that they are 

 only cleaned once or twice a week. There are no 

 disagreeable odors coming from this accumulation 

 of manure, the trench being ventilated as shown. 

 All the warm, offensive air is drawn off, and by the 

 use of a daily sprinkling of land plaster (see chap- 

 ter on land plaster, page 25) as an absorbent, the 

 stable is kept as pure and wholesome as a well-con- 

 structed closet in a private house. Where land 

 plaster cannot be obtained, road dust or dry muck 

 as an absorbent is, we are told, the next best thing 

 to procure. If it is desirable to clean the stables 

 not oftener than once a week, the manure trench 

 should be at least eighteen inches deep and eigh- 

 teen inches wide, in which case, it will, of course, 

 require to have an iron grating behind the cows. 

 I have never had practical experience with these 

 iron grates, but, from what I have seen, they could 

 be improved upon by making the opening between 

 the bars wider, and the bats themselves narrower 

 and deeper, so that the manure in falling will go 



