COUNTRY MANSION'S. 357 



rature is kept up by the warm milk being brought in, -when newly taken from 

 the cow; but, when necessary, this heat may be increased by placing vessels 

 of hot water on the floor. Every dairy requires to have a scullery attached, 

 Avith a fireplace and boiler, as the vessels which hold the milk require to be 

 frequently washed in scalding hot water. Cleanliness is essential in every 

 place where human food is to be kept, but it is particularly so in a dairy ; as,^ 

 if the milk be put into unwashed or carelessly washed vessels, it will soon 

 turn sour ; and, if the churn and other utensils used in preparing butter be 

 not frequently scalded, they will give the butter an unpleasant taste, and 

 prevent it from keeping. The dairy scullery may very conveniently be 

 placed at one end, or on one side, of the dairy, taking care to have them 

 separated by double doors, with windows for ventilation in the passage be- 

 tween, or with a window in the ceiling. This prevents the transmission of 

 heat from the scullery to the dairy in summer ; Avliile, by shutting the windows 

 and opening the doors in winter, heat may be admitted from the scullery to 

 the dairy, so as to keep it at the proper temperature. These hints will be 

 sufficient to show the importance of the subject, and to lead those who can 

 deduce rules from general principles into the right mode of thinking respect- 

 in<y dairies; while such as require more minute details may have recourse to 

 our Encifd&pcedia already quoted. 



435. The piggery. — The great requisites here are, cleanliness, dryness, 

 warmth in winter and shade in summer, a convenient mode of keeping and 

 supplying food, and a place for the pigs to take exercise. These requisites 

 are very well attained in the ordinary pigsties, which consist of a small open 

 court for the pigs to feed and take exercise in, and a covered building for 

 them to sleep in. The principal defect in pigsties of this kind is, a want of 

 sufficient drainage in their courtyards, in consequence of which much more 

 moisture is retained there, than is desirable for the health and cleanliness of 

 the pies. There ought to be to every pigsty an underground drain with a 

 grating and trap (the latter as much to keep out dirt as the bad smell), com- 

 municating with the liquid manure tank, and to be washed out occasionally 

 by the water used in cleansing the floor of the pigsty. Though pigs are 

 generally considered to be dirty animals, yet thej^ have some habits of clean- 

 liness which are remarkable : for example, that of never doing anything dirty 

 in their sleeping-place, but always choosing a particular corner of their sty 

 for this purpose. Hence, if this natural tendency were properly seconded, a 

 pigsty might be kept as clean as a cow-house or stable. The food for pigs is 

 either of a dry or of a liquid kind. The latter ought always to be kept in a 

 large tub, or in a tank under cover ; where it is kept till it becomes in a state 

 of fermentation; it being found to be far more nourishing for the pigs when 

 sour than when it is sweet. For this reason, there ought to be two tubs or 

 tank?, that the one may be filling with the liquid refuse from the kitchen, 

 while the other is using ; and they may be put under cover, or sunk in the 

 soil, in order that feraientation may not be checked by the cold of winter. 

 Where a proprietor feeds his own pigs, the greatest impi-ovement that we can 

 suggest is, that of having the pigsties connected with a grass field of one or 

 two acres in extent, or an orchard ; and of having various aromatic herbs 

 sown among the grass ; this would be a near approach towards making the 

 flesh of the common pig as highly flavoured as that of the wild swine. In- 

 deed, we cannot too strongly impress it on the mind of the reader, that the 



