105 



BEDS OF HORSES. 



Some persons have advocated sawdust as a good bedding for 

 horses, it lasts good a long time, is cheap, and is fairly good manure. 

 Some recommend tan ; this is also a good manure for heavy land. 

 The following is the best way of using sawdust : — 



Lay a substratum of sawdust, say two inches deep, and above that 

 lay less than half the usual quantity of straw ; rake twice a day, or 

 oftener, so much of the sawdust as is wetted, and clean the whole of 

 it out once a fortnight, or thereabouts. The sawdust absorbs the 

 urine, and very little of the straw is so wet or dirty as to make it 

 necessary to throw it out. One fatal objection to the use of sawdust 

 without straw is that the horses' feet get packed with the sawdust, 

 and this makes them hot and uncomfortable. 



Sawdust is best used in summer, and the horses' feet should be 

 picked out night and morning. It is as well to thoroughly clean 

 the beds every two or three days by raking and turning them. 

 Stains upon white horses from sawdust are rather troublesome to 

 get out. 



A correspondent, under the signature of "Eolf," sends the following 

 plan for stables to take sawdust for bedding : — " I inclose a slight 

 sketch of a three-stalled stable, showing the floor in the various 



stages of construction at A, B, and 0. J) dis the main drain, F the 

 foundation, G the surface of the ground, and L the hayloft. When 

 the foundations have been laid all round I shall clear the whole 



