PRACTICAL FARMER. 



75 



surrounded by a wall sufficien=tly high to prevent 

 the dun^JT from going ir.to the tank. This was an 

 admirable provision for saving a substance of ex- 

 traordinary value to the farmer, where he can 

 nvail himself of it. In Flanders it is saved with 

 the greatest care, and mixed with a rape of oil 

 cake, as the very best manure they can apply to 

 their lands. The only provision in this country, 

 on an extensive scale, for saving it, which we have 

 met witfi, was at the farm of Robert Smith, Esq. 

 near Baltimore, whei-e a hundred cows were 

 kept ; a large reservoir was made in the yard, and 

 covered drains were formed for the purpose of 

 conveying the urine to this deposite ; from which 

 it was taken, and by a machine like that used for 

 sprinkling the streets of cities, was distributed 

 over the fields. The value of this manure is very 

 great, and is not yet appreciated among us. No 

 provision is made for saving it in any of the cow- 

 houses of New York city, where some of the milk 

 establishments exceed three hundred cows, and 

 the feed to which they are accustomed produces 

 the most abundant secretions of urine. 



The grand building in the Harleian dairy, which 

 had stalls for one hundred cows, was ninetyfive 

 feet long by sixtythree feet wide within the walls. 

 It had raults under the whole, divided for the pur- 

 pose of receiving the dung, of storing potatoes and 

 roots, and for an apartment for keeping the cows 

 that werd dry and prepared for fattening. This 

 apartment being quiet, and having little light, was 

 deemed better adapted for carrying on the process 

 of fattening than the other cow-houses; darkness 

 ■and quiet generally contributing to assist the pro- 

 gress and making the cattle much sooner fit for 

 slaughtering. 



It was deemed highly important, and it was so 

 contrived, that the house should be perfectly ven- 

 tilated, and at the same time preserve an equal 

 temperature — both which points were conducive 

 to their milking and fattening, and the cattle were 

 in this way ke|)t in the best health and condition. 

 The heat was generally kept at the temperature 

 from ro to 64 degrees of Fahrenheit's scale : and 

 as the walls were plastered carefully, the cattle 

 never experienced any injury from cold, even in 

 winter. A direct current of cold air suddenly ad- 

 mitted, was found to be exceedingly injurious and 

 much pains was taken to avoid this. 



The floor on which the cows stood was raised 

 six inches above the passages ; this not only show- 

 ed the cows to advantage, but kept therri dry and 

 clean ; and two and a half feet of the floor next to 

 the trough was made of composition similar to 

 what is commonly used in making barn floors ; 

 because the principal weight of the cows being 

 upon their fore feet, and, as in lying down the 

 whole weight is upon their knees, it was obvious- 

 ly desirable to have that part of the stall as smooth 



and soft as possible. In all cow-houses, he re- 

 marks in continuation, the front part of the still 

 should be rather lower than the back part, since it 

 would enable the cattle to lie easier : and besides 

 this, they would not be apt to slip their calf. 



The ordinary manner of fastening cattle in cow 

 houses, is to fix the neck of the animal betwee« 

 two stakes, which are commonly called stanch- 

 ions. This mode is greatly disapproved by Mr 

 Harley, as it prevents the cattle licking themselves. 

 The indulgence of this propensity he deems of 

 much importance to the health of the animal, as it 

 contributes like currying to promote a free per- 

 spiration, and increase the circulation of the blood, 

 and thus conduces to their general health. He 

 deems the free ventilation of the cow-houses of 

 great importance; as otherwise, the milk is often 

 tainted by the bad odor of the houses, as has been 

 experienced even in passing it from the cow into 

 the pitcher. As the dung was preserved from the 

 wind and weather, it was considered worth 25 per 

 cent more than that which had been so exposed ; 

 and the urine was sold by the butt of about four 

 hundred gallons. 



The milk-houso in its construction was partic- 

 ularly favored by the nature of the ground. It 

 was long, high, and wide, and every possible means 

 employed to have it cool and airy. The floor was 

 paved with stone of the best quality, the milk-dish- 

 es were placed upon the pavement on each side, 

 leaving a space for a passage in the centre ; they 

 were then filled with new milk, a plug was put in- 

 to the cesspool ; the stop cock at the end was 

 turned, und the water allowed to flow until it cov- 

 ered the floor where the milk vessels were placed. 

 The house was in this way kept cool, and the floor 

 was regularly washed and rubbed with a dry 

 cloth ; and this, with a complete ventilation of the 

 premises, kept the air pure. The churning-house 

 at Willowbank, was ventilated and lighted by 

 windows in the north side, and in the roof, cover- 

 ed with fine wire gratings. The milk-ofiice con- 

 tained the large tub for receiving the milk from 

 the cows, from which it was measured out to the 

 distributors. The manager had a house within 

 the premises ; the dairy-maid and one or two of 

 the servants were accommodated there, it being 

 necessary they should be on the spot night and 

 day. Two apartments, one for the men, another 

 for the women, were allotted for the purpose of 

 keeping their clothes ; and that they might more 

 conveniently 'change them, before going out to 

 deliver the milk, numerous clothes and towel pins 

 were fixed in the wall ; and the rule to be implic- 

 itly observed by the servants was, tiiat their hands 

 and face washed, and their dress to be neat and 

 clean. Cleanliness, indeed, was always regarded 

 as essentially necessary in this and every pari of 

 the establishment. 



