VENTILATION AND LIGHTING 



229 



dry, but its want of durability, foothold, and cleanliness, and its retention 

 of ammonia have prevented its adoption. 



Water-pipes, where there is no pump, must bo laid in the ground so as 

 to be out of the reach of frost, and should be furnished with a good- 

 sized cistern in or near the saddle-room, where it can be kept from freezing. 

 The system of laying on water-pipes to the mangers, by which they may be 

 readily filled, is a good one, but it costs money and is by no means necessary. 

 If the iron surface drains which I have described are used no flushing is 

 required, a besom easily cleaning them out, but pipe drains are certainly the 

 better for a good flushing now and then. Hard pump water is not so good 

 for drinking as soft or river water, but in many situations nothing else can 

 be obtained. When soft water is within reach it may easily be conducted 

 into a cistern in the saddle-room, where its temperature will be always 

 nearly that of the stable. A change from hard to soft water should be 

 made gradually, as otherwise the digestive organs may be deranged. 



VENTILATION AND LIGHTING 



All stable windows should be of iron, and if they are cast with 

 iron bars six inches apart from centre to centre, no horse will break 

 the glass. Every other bar may be made to project so as to form the 

 framework for the glass, and in this way serve a double purpose. If 



Vl.-1--t--l-<2) 



VENTILATING WINDOWS. 



they are made to open in a valvular form, as represented above, on the 

 same principle as has long been adopted in church windows, and as I 

 have for years recommended for lighting and ventilating kennels, there 

 is no down-draught, and every advantage is obtained from the fresh 

 air without the disadvantage which ensues when it blows down upon 

 the back or loins. In the engraving, a represents the window perfectly 

 closed, in the state admitting light but no air ; h shows the same window 

 opened as far as the framework will allow, intermediate degrees being 

 regulated by the ratchet rod c, which is fixed to the upper edge of the 



