THE STABLE 29 



you can get most grooms to bestow on such a 

 matter. If, however, you should find yourself 

 temporarily occupying a stable fitted with them, 

 be most careful to see that they are thoroughly 

 flushed daily, some disinfecting powder sprinkled 

 down them, and the traps removed and cleaned. 



Too little care is often taken with the founda- 

 tion of a stable. An3^one who has been present at 

 the taking up of an old stable floor and 



Floor 



smelt the foul soil beneath it will realise 

 what I mean. For perfect health, the foundation 

 of a stable should consist first of all of a foot or 

 n}ore of hard gravel, on the top of which should 

 lie a bed of good concrete, one foot deep. Above 

 this the flooring, which should, for purposes of 

 surface drainage, be at least a foot above the 

 ground level. 



Local consideration must to a certain extent 

 afiect the choice of a flooring, and I do not propose 

 to go into details. 



The essentials for a good floor are : that it 

 should be impervious to moisture, should aftbrd 

 facilities for surface drainage, should be easily 

 cleaned, should be as near as possible level, and 

 not slippery. 



The old-fashioned cobble stones are objection- 

 able, as they are difficult to clean. 



Ordinary bricks are porous, wear irregularly, 



