STABLE. 11 



of bacterial contamination, but the use of this material must 

 of necessity be restricted to a very few of the best dairies. 



Mangers and stanckio7is . Wooden mangers, when old, be- 

 come harboring places for decomposing feed, especially if in- 

 dividual compartments are provided for each cow. Ease of 

 cleaning has resulted in the general use of one continuous 

 cement trough for the whole row of cows. Separate cement 

 mangers, if the cows are habituated to taking certain places, 

 would have a slight tendency to restrain the spread of bovine 

 tuberculosis. In the best stables, wooden stanchions have 

 been supplanted by a variety of iron devices. The stanchions 

 should be spaced from three to three and one-half feet from 

 center to center, at the least, in order to give room between 

 cows. The swing stanchion is preferable, because it restricts 

 movement forward and backward and thus contributes to the 

 cleanliness of the cow (65). 



Barn improvcincnls . The general use of the model dairy 

 barn in milk production cannot be brought about immediately-. 

 Therefore at present we have the problem of adajiting the older 

 inferior structures to the requirements of clean milk produc- 

 tion. Fortunately, with slight structural changL-s and the ex- 

 ercise of care, milk of a very satisfactory sanitary qualit>- may 

 be produced in such barns. The condition of the ordinary 

 wooden floor may be greatly improved by the usu of land plas- 

 ter or sawdust as an absorbent of liquids. Changes for im- 

 proving the lighting and ventilation are usually possible. \'en- 

 tilation, most important in cold climates where cattle are shel- 

 tered in the stable, becomes a negligible factor in mild climates 

 where the cattle are kept indoors only during milking. The 

 accumulation of manure near the building may be avoided 

 by keeping a wagon convenient for loading directly from the 

 stable. At certain seasons the manure may be carted directly 

 to the fields, and, at other times, to a satisfactory distance from 

 the barn. Whitewashing is one of the most popular measures 

 for improving interior conditions. Its occasional application 

 with a brush removes, for the time being, much dust and cob- 

 webs, besides improving the lighting. It is fairl\- efficient for 

 disinfecting purposes, some other agents being more active. 



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