VENTILATION OF STABLES. 57 



than would be proper where a fine coat is of more impor <ice 

 Still, by lowering the windows these stables can be kep.. very 

 comfortable, and without rendering the air unwholesome. 

 From the manner in which they are arranged, low apertures 

 can not be obtained except to four stalls, without considerable 

 expense, and I am not sure that they would be a great im- 

 provement though they were introduced. 



Admitting that it is better for the sake of warmth to have 

 small outlets with corresponding inlets, than to have large 

 outlets and no inlets, I think the inlets ought to be placed 

 near the horse's nostrils. To keep him warm, the air which 

 surrounds his body should be warm and stagnant, or at least 

 as warm and still as ventilation w r ill permit. When the fresh 

 air enters at some distance, it must traverse the stable to 

 reach the place where it is consumed, and in its passage it 

 cools the stable and plays upon some part of the horse. By 

 admitting the fresh air at the head wall, below the manger, 

 or near the ground, the current would be short ; it would not 

 be intercepted by the horse, and it would not c<x>l the air 

 which surrounds his body, and keeps him warm. A stable 

 free at both ends, whether single or double, might have a 

 wooden tube running below all the mangers, and at each ex- 

 tremity open to the external air. As it passed through each 

 stall, a number of small perforations, widely spread and suf- 

 ficient to admit the air, would be better than a single aperture. 

 If the stable were not very long, perhaps it might be suf- 

 ficient to have only one end of the tube open ; and whether open 

 at one end or at both, the extremity should be turned down- 

 ward or defended by a cap, to prevent the wind from blowing 

 into it. I do not think that the air would ever enter with 

 such force as to cool the horse's head or his legs. But as the 

 plan has not been tried, whoever thinks well of it had better 

 put it to experiment on a small scale. When the stable abuts 

 against other buildings, this is the only mode by which fresh 

 air can be brought to the head of the stall, without passing 

 over the horse. When the head wall is free, an aperture can 

 be made right through it ; but this, though it might be better 

 than having it placed opposite the horse's heels, would be 

 objectionable. The air might come in too strongly, and blow 

 upon the head when the horse is lying. The small sieve- 

 like perforations spread over a considerable surface, the 

 whole forming a space equal to about six inches square, 

 would render a current upon the head almost impossible. 

 * The only use of low apertures is to admit fresh air. In 



