Book IV. BUILDINGS FOR LIVE STOCK 443 



2812. In erecting a farmery, the first thing that deserves notice is its situation, 

 both in regard to the other parts of the farm, and the convenience of the buildings them- 

 selves. In general, it must be of importance on arable farms, that the buildings should 

 be set down at nearly an equal distance from the extremities ; or so situate, that the access 

 from all the different fields should be easy, and the distance from those most remote, no 

 greater than the size of the farm renders unavoidable. The advantages of such a posi- 

 tion in saving labour are too obvious to require illustration ; and yet this matter is not 

 near so much attended to as its importance deserves. In some cases, however, it is 

 advisable to depart from this general rule; of which one of the most obvious is, where 

 the command of water for a threshing-mill, or other purposes, can be better secured in 

 another quarter of the farm. 



2813. The form most generally approved for a set of offices is a square, or rather a 

 rectangular parallelogram ; the houses being arranged on the north, east, and west sides, 

 and the south side fenced by a stone wall, to which low buildings, for calves, pigs, poultry, 

 &c. are sometimes attached. The space thus enclosed is usually allotted to young cattle : 

 these have access to the sheds on one or two sides, and are kept separate, according to 

 their size or age, by one partition-wall or more. The farmer's dwelling-house stands at 

 a short distance from the offices, and frequently commands a view of the inside of the 

 square ; and cottages for servants and labourers are placed on some convenient spot, not 

 far from the other buildings. 



28 14. The different buildings required for the occupation of land are chiefly those devoted 

 to live stock, as the stable, cow-house, cattle sheds, &c. ; those used as repositories or 

 for conducting operations, as the cart-shed, barn, &c. ; and human habitations, or 

 cottages and farm-houses. After noticing the separate construction of these edifices, we 

 shall exemplify their combination in different descriptions of farmeries. 



Sect. I. Buildings for Live Stock. 



2815. Buildings for agricultural live stock are the stable, cow-house, cattle-houses and 

 cattle-sheds, sheep-houses, pigsties, poultry-houses, rabbitry, pigeonry, and bee-house. 



*2816. The stable is an important building in most farmeries; it is in general placed 

 in the west side of the square, with its doors and windows opening to the east. Nothing 

 conduces more to the health of horses than good and wholesome air. The situation of 

 the stable should always be on firm, dry, and hard ground, that in winter the horse may 

 go out and come in clean ; and, where possible, be built rather on an ascent, that the 

 urine and other liquid matters may be easily conveyed away by means of drains for the 

 purpose. As there is no animal that delights more in cleanliness than the horse, or that 

 more dislikes bad smells, care should be taken that there be no hen-roost, hogsties, or 

 necessary houses near the place where the stable is to built. The swallowing of feathers, 

 which is very apt to happen, when hen-roosts are near, often proves injurious to horses. 

 The walls of a stable ought to be of brick rather than stone, and should be made of a 

 moderate thickness, two bricks or a brick and a half at least, or the walls may be built 

 hollow, not only for economy, but for the sake of warmth in the winter, and to keep 

 out the heat in the summer. The windows should be proportioned in number to the 

 extent, and made on the east or north side of the building, that the north wind may be 

 let in to cool the stables in the summer, and the rising sun all the year round, especially 

 in winter. They should either be sashed or have large casements for the sake of letting 

 in air enough ; and there should always be close wooden shutters, turning on bolts, that 

 the light may be shut out at pleasure. Many pave the whole stable with stone, but that 

 part which the horse is to lie on is often boarded with oak planks, which should be laid 

 as even as possible, and cross-wise rather than length-wise ; and there should be several 

 holes bored through them to receive the urine and carry it off underneath the floor by 

 gutters into one common receptacle. The ground behind should be raised to a level with 

 the planks, and be paved with small pebbles. There are mostly two rings placed on 

 each side of the manger, or stall, for the reins of the horse's halter to run through, and 

 a logger is to be fixed to the ends of these, sufficient to poise them perpendicularly, but 

 not so heavy as to tire the horse, or to hinder him from eating ; the best place for him to 

 eat his corn in, is a drawer or locker, which need not be large, so that it may be taken 

 out at pleasure to clean it, by which means the common dirtiness of a fixed manger may 

 be avoided. Many people are against having a rack in their- stables ; they give the horse 

 his hay in a trough bin, formed of boards with an open bottom. 



2817. A lofty stable is recommended by White (Treatise on Veter. Med. p. 1.), fifteen 

 or twenty but never less than twelve feet high, with an opening in the ceiling for venti- 

 lation. The floor he prefers is brick or limestone, inclining not more from the manger 

 to the gutter than an inch in a yard. Some litter, he says, should always be allowed for 

 a horse to stale upon, which should be swept away as often as is necessary. This, with 

 a pail or two of water thrown upon the floor, and swept off while the horse is at exercise, 

 will keep the stable perfectly clean, and free from offensive smells. 



