2 THE ECONOMY OF 



productive of disease, and its total loss fatal to life. Ventilation 

 is necessary all the year round : in the winter, for supplying; 

 pure air for the purpose of breathing in the place of that which 

 is impure and unfit ; and in the summer, not only for this pur- 

 pose, but also to cool the stable as much as possible. Stables 

 should, therefore,' be constructed to admit both these purposes — ■ 

 in the summer to admit as much cool air as possible, and in the 

 winter sufficient for the purpose of purity, without rendering the 

 stable too cold, or occasioning draughts. It follows, however, 

 that if we can ensure our end in cold weather, we can readily do 

 so in hot weather, by means of the doors and windows. The 

 heated foul air may be allowed to escape by means of a chimney, 

 or square opening in the ceiling, communicating with the open 

 air, or it may be made in the form of a dome or cuj)ola, which 

 would be more ornamental. The chimney need not be open at 

 the top, so as to admit the rain, but should be roofed, and have 

 lateral openings by means of weather-boards, as they are termed. 

 A still better plan is, by having smaller openings over each 

 stall, any of which may be closed when the horse is absent. The 

 admission of pure air is likewise to be provided for : if allowed 

 to come in at the windows, there will be a great draught on the 

 horse's hind quarters, where it is least required. The best plan 

 is to admit it towards the animal's head, by means of a pipe or 

 wooden box having a number of perforations, so that there may 

 be no sudden draught in any direction. Cold air should not be 

 allowed to enter tlie stable door or near the horse's heels, as this 

 is very likely to produce grease, or chapped heels. — Ed.] 



A stable, when properly paved, and kept moderately clean, 

 requires only a shallow wide gutter, twelve inches Avide, and one 

 inch deep. The best floor for a stable, by far, is hard brick ; 

 and, next to that, limestone, not less than one foot square. I 

 have seen a stable belonging to Mr. Lovell of Wells, thus paved, 

 but with wider stones, and so chi})ped as to have numerous 

 small furrows, all of them tending towards the centre and back 

 pari, and I never before saw so clean or so nice a stal)le, ex- 

 cept one belonging to Mr. Atkinson, at Cheddington, and that, 

 I think, was superior to any I ever met with, especially in its 

 interior arrangement. The floor of the stall should never incline 

 more than one inch in a yard, and the inclination should be con- 

 tinued back to the gutter only. Some litter 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 ofl:' while the horse is at exercise, will 

 keep the stable perfectly clean, and free from oftcnsive smells. 

 This plan can be further insured, and the litter saved, by means 

 of small gratings, nine inches by four, placed in the middle of the 

 stall for horses, and at the back part for mares, covering a small 



