CONSTRUCTION OF KENNELS. 301 



divide it into sleeping-rooms and yards. It is now generally 

 agreed that a clay soil is the best for dog-kennels, but this is 

 not of so much consequence in greyhounds, because in any case 

 the floor of the yards, as well as the sleeping-rooms, should be 

 laid in cement with glazed tiles even slate absorbs too much, 

 and should be rejected the tiles, being glazed, do not absorb 

 either urine or water, and are consequently soon dry after being 

 washed down ; whereas brick floors, if washed, are not dry for 

 many hours in winter, and are also constantly impregnated with 

 urine. Asphalte forms also an excellent material for kennel floors 

 when properly laid. There is a reason for the selection of clay 

 soils for kennels which has never yet, that I am aware of, been 

 made known, and has only lately been discovered in the researches 

 now going on in agricultural chemistry. It has been proved by 

 Mr. Way, and the experiments have been published by him in 

 the Journal of the Agricultural Society, that clay absorbs am- 

 monia in a remarkable manner, and also several other salts con- 

 tained in manure, and that it not only absorbs these salts, but 

 combines with them, and most probably destroys their injurious 

 effects upon animal life. Hence it is highly probable that 

 whatever excrementitious salts of the dogs' urine, &c., are 

 suffered to percolate into the soil, are rendered harmless in the 

 clay substratum, whilst they are retained and allowed to putrefy 

 and become a constant source of mischief, in the sandy or 

 gravelly foundations which used to be selected. 



The greatest number of separate kennels which I would ever 

 advise under one roof would be three, which would require a 



