18 AMERICAN STABLE GUIDE. 



stables of to-day, both in tlieir number and perfection, with 

 those of a quarter of a century ago, and no difficulty will be 

 found in arriving at the^deductions here announced con- 

 cerning them. Therefore, in the pride of our spirit we 

 say, that the experience obtained in a series of years in the 

 second city of this republic, where duty and love of the 

 horse impelled us to erect such establishments, leads to the 

 conclusion that there is little to be desired in addition to 

 what already exists for the arrangements of the stable and 

 comfort of the horse. 



It must be remembered by all who are interested in such 

 matters that the plans for our private city stables and their 

 perfection have been executed almost in opposition to cir- 

 cumstances, and in many instances beyond the comprehen- 

 sion of the owners. A small lot of ground behind or back 

 of the dwelling, or at least within reasonable distance of it, 

 is usually selected as the stable site, and it is upon this that 

 we find the finished stable and carriage-house of the gentle- 

 man. The ingenuity of the architect and the craft of the 

 builder has erected a house for the horse and family equi- 

 page of which no age nor country can claim a better, and 

 apparently under adverse circumstances. This, then, is 

 the stable of the present, which is acceptable to us for all 

 purposes intended, and from which we prefer to take as a 

 text the description of the gentleman's city stable. 



The walls of city stables and carriage-houses are almost 

 invariably built of brick of the ordinary kind, but on the 

 front aspect or wall it is usually faced with pressed brick 



