DAIRY INSPECTION 139 
ceiling 9 feet high, would provide 567 cubic feet of air 
space per cow. With the cows standing in two rows, the 
stable would be 36 feet wide, which is not too wide for it 
to be well lighted if windows are placed on both sides. 
It will therefore be seen that the necessary area of floor 
space to make the cows comfortable and the stable work 
convenient will also provide a fair amount of cubic air 
space. 
(c) Interior Construction.—The material used in 
the construction of the ceiling, walls, floor, platform, feed 
trough, drop or gutter, and stall fittings, their state of 
repair and their condition in regard to cleanliness should 
be noted. While defects and deficiencies in stable con- 
struction may be overcome to a considerable extent by 
careful and painstaking methods, at the same time a 
properly constructed and conveniently arranged stable 
_ saves labor and therefore encourages the practice of good 
methods; it also adds to the comfort of the cows and con- 
sequently increases their productiveness. 
The ceiling should be tight and smooth, plastered, 
painted, oiled, or whitewashed, and free from cobwebs. 
There is no objection to storing hay or fodder above the 
cow stable if the ceiling is tight. It is better not to have 
any openings in the ceiling through which hay, fodder 
or straw may be thrown down into the stable; but if 
there must be such openings, they should be in front of 
the cows and not in the rear. 
The walls should be smooth and clean. It is desirable 
to have the inner surface of the walls back of the cows 
finished smooth with cement for at least 4 feet above the 
floor and covered with an impervious paint from which 
dirt can be readily removed by washing. Where paint or 
cement cannot be used, the application of whitewash will 
