STATION EQUIPMENT. 



The Maine Experiment Station, since its organization in 1885, 

 has devoted a fair share of its income and of the time of its work- 

 ing force to a study of some of the practical problems pertaining 

 to animal nutrition. During all this time the equipment for this 

 work has been gradually improving, until it has become quite 

 satisfactory for conducting experiments in determining the digest- 

 ibility of cattle foods and in testing the economy of various 

 methods and rations for producing meat and milk. 



A description of the Station Barn is given here, not because its 

 arrangement and equipment are regarded as especially good, but 

 because the interest of those who are following the Station work 

 may be increased possibly by a definite understanding of just how 

 and where this work is done. 



The Station Barn. 



This is a building (see cut) one hundred feet long by forty feet 

 wide. It consists of a basement, the first floor, which is devoted 

 to space for tying animals and to other necessary rooms, and the 

 second story, which gives sufficient room for the storing of fodder 

 and numerous lots of experimental grain. The foundation of the 

 barn, which constitutes the walls of the basement and which rests 

 for its entire length upon a solid ledge, is built of broken stone 

 and is thoroughly cemented on the outside and well filled with 

 mortar on the inside. 



The floor of the basement consists of solid ledge covered by a 

 small amount of earth, and has sufficient inclination to entirely 

 prevent any standing water, even if such were to come from out- 

 side drainage, which is not the case. 



The first floor of the barn is occupied as follows (see Plate I) : 



(0) A driveway and floor for feeding which occupies the cen- 

 ter of the entire length of the barn. This floor space is covered 

 by an upper floor with the exception of about twenty feet at one 

 end. 



(1) A hospital in the southwest corner of the barn. 



(2) A tie-up on the south side of the barn which has seventeen 

 stalls. This tie-up is provided with scales (3) set in the floor for 



