4 THE ECONOMY OF 



adnpted for one, and tlmt is what I am now describing. The 

 rack is represented with staves in the front, hke a common rack ; 

 hut this is not necessary : indeed, it is better to have it closed 

 in front. The back part of the rack should be an inclined plane, 

 made of wood ; should be gradually sloped towards the front, 

 and should terminate about two feet down. Such a rack will 

 hold more hay than ever ought to be put before one horse. The 

 advantages of this rack ai'C numerous. In the first place, the 

 hay is easily put into it, and renders a hay-loft over the stable 

 imnecessarv ; and this mav be an inducement to the builder to 

 make the stable as lofty as it ought to be, and render other ven- 

 tilation unnecessary. All the hay that is put into this manger 

 will be eaten ; but in the common rack it is well known that a 

 large portion of the hay is often pulled down upon the litter and 

 trodden ujion, whereby a consideralde quantity is often wasted. 

 It prevents the hay-seeds or dust from falling upon the horse, or 

 into his eyes ; and what is of considerable im])ortance, though sel- 

 dom attended to, there will be an inducement to the groom to 

 give the horse hay in small quantities at a time, and frequently, 

 from the little trouble which attends putting it into the rack. 

 The saving in hay that may be effected by the use of this rack 

 is so apparent that it need not be dwelt upon. Some mischiev- 

 ous horses will throw out the hay with their noses : but this 

 may be effectually prevented by one or two cross bars — that is, 

 crossing the upper part of the crib from the back to the front.* 

 A great saving, also, may be made in oats by so fastening the 



* Mr. Stacey, lately groom of the stables of the Earl of Derby, produced 

 Bome models of his newly invented and improA'ed racks and mangers before 

 the Veterinary Medical Association. A wooden partition is erected at the 

 head of each stall, reaching from the pavement to nearly or quite the ceiling, 

 antl with a ch)sed lateral division, or floor, a little above the height at which 

 the top of the manger would be placed. Tiie partition is divided by this floor 

 into two compartments, one above the other. The iipj^er one is designed to 

 receive the hay for each feeding, which is introduced by means of a circular 

 aperture in the upper part of the front, and which a sliding door immediately 

 closes. Below this is another opening, sc[uare or circular, or of any form that 

 the owner pleases, containing round upright staves, constituting a rack, and 

 against which the hay introduced at the upper opening lodges. Moveable 

 slides may be drawn before this aperture also. 



Under the rack are three parallel drawers, each of which may be pulled 

 out or returned at pleasure. The central one is the manger ; that on the 

 near side may hold a mash or gruel, while the one on the offside, by means 

 of a cock projecting from the back, and communicating by means of a pipe 

 with the pump or reservoir, supplies the horse with water. 



In the central drawer, or mangei', green meat may be placed ; and then 

 there are some iron bars which run across it, thus preventing the forage 

 from being drawn out in too large quantities, and consequently wasted. This 

 constitutes a very good soil-rack or manger. The space under the rack lias 

 likewise sliding doors to it, and here the straw and litter may be kept. The 

 situation of the rings to which the halter is attached may be varied at pleasure. 

 {Veterinarian, vol. xii. p. 193.) — Ed.] 



