CHAP. I. 



" HAMMELS." 



677 



is always a violent draught. When boarding is put up in this manner, 

 there must be openings with closing slides to allow the stockman to 

 feed the animals easily. The span of the roof should be 32 ft., which 

 will involve queen-trussing. 



Fig. 206 illustrates an arrangement of open cattle-yards and feeding- 

 sheds, or " curtains " as they are sometimes called, used in the North 

 of England. The shed a a is entered by the doors b b, from the cattle- 

 yards c c, of which d d are the dunging gates. e e is the turnip-store 

 or house, from which the troughs g g, in the side sheds h h, are 

 supplied by flinging the turnips through the port-holes //. 



Feeding in what are called " hammels " is a favourite mode with 

 many first-rate farmers. The " hammel " system consists of a 

 series of small sheltered sheds, a a fig. 207, entered by the door c, 

 from the yard b. d is the dunging-gate, e the turnip trough, and /the 

 water trough. 



The observations we have already made on the situation and 

 ventilation of cattle-houses are equally applicable to cart-horse stables. 

 The walls should, however, be always supplied with casements, not 



Fig. 207." Hammels." 



only for the admission of air, but of more light than is requisite for the 

 cattle-houses ; and shutters should, at the same time, be added for the 

 purpose of excluding the light, if necessary, during the daytime. If 

 horses are constantly kept in a dark stable their eyes are weakened, 

 and, if nothing more should happen, it is liable to make them shy at 

 ordinary objects which they cannot discern clearly. The door should 

 be as near as convenient to the entrance of the farm-yard, or, if 

 consistent with security, outside it, in order that the horses may not 

 have to pass amongst the store cattle in the yard; and it will always be 

 of advantage that it should face the south-east. No hen-roost or 

 piggery should be in close proximity to the stable. Fowls are 

 particularly objectionable, for there have been numerous instances in 

 which the apparent mange of the horse has been traced to the pest 

 that inhabits the skin of the feathered biped. 



Cart-horses are occasionally put into a loose stable, without any 

 divisions between them. There may be economy of space in this, but 

 frequent accidents result in consequence of vicious animals kicking 

 each other, whilst the strongest generally get the largest share of the 

 provender. The expense of dividing their stables into stalls, or separat- 

 ing their stalls by means of poles hung horizontally, would, therefore, 



