SELF-CLEANING STABLE. 



99 



The construction of the grating will easily be understood. 

 Iron joists, M by 2 inches (marked 5), set edgewise, reaching 

 from angle-iron sill to wooden platform, placed 18K inches 

 apart. Across these, at right angles, are laid wrought-iron 

 bars (marked 4), % by 1% inches, fastened to the joists by 

 quarter-inch round iron staples striding the joists and 

 coming up through the flat bar and riveted. These flat 

 bars, on which the cattle stand, are placed 1% inches apart, 

 twelve of them in number for this width of platform, with 

 a plank some 10 inches wide covering the angle-iron. 



It will be seen that the cow must stand with the fore-feet 

 upon the plank platform, and hind-feet upon the flat iron 

 bars of the grating. The droppings fall directly through 

 the openings into the gutter below when the manure is 

 thin; and in winter, when dry food is given, the droppings 

 are pressed through by the movements of the hind-feet. 

 The cow stands across the bars, and always has two bars 

 to stand upon, some large cattle's feet reaching the third 

 bar. Cows that have stood upon this platform for five years 

 have always remained clean, healthy and comfortable. The 

 circulation of air under the platform appears to prevent 

 diseases of the feet. 



Fig. 11. 



This platform, above described, was the first one put 

 into use. It was stationary. The next improvement was 

 to put it on hinges, doing away with the stone posts, and 

 substituting short angle-iron posts instead, as represented 



