344 "^^^ MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



important among the requisites in a stable whatsoever 

 may be its construction: (i) That there is large capacity 

 for storing food; (2) That the food shall be of easy 

 access; (3) That the stable shall be dry, well lighted, 

 and properly ventilated, and (4) that it shall be easily 

 and cheaply cleaned. It would seem correct to say 

 that, as a rule, such a combination can be most readily 

 found in a stable built on what may be termed the base- 

 ment plan. 



The importance of large capacity for storing food 

 consists, first, in the labor saved in handling the food, 

 and, second, in the better preservation of the food as 

 compared with storing it in stacks. Fodders stored in 

 stacks cannot usually be fed unless drawn to the place 

 of feeding. Those stored in a basement lot can be fed, 

 as a rule, without being drawn. The only objection to 

 furnishing storage room of large capacity is the cost. 

 Under some conditions that objection may be material. 



Ease of access to the food has a bearing, first, on 

 the labor involved in getting it, and, second, on the 

 opportunity to furnish the kind of food wanted for each 

 class of stock kept. When storing the food, the neces- 

 sity for storing it in the various apartments so that it 

 will be easily accessible should be constantly kept in 

 mind. The ease or difficulty connected with such stor- 

 age is much influenced by the plan of construction of the 

 building. 



The importance of freedom from dampness in a 

 stable cannot easily be over-estimated, because of the 

 bearing which it has upon the health of the animals. 

 Undue dampness is most frequently found in a basement 

 stable, with one side and both ends of the basement built 

 well into the side of a bank where the earth is naturally 

 cold and retentive. The proper construction of the walls 

 will go far to remove such dampness, as, for instance, 

 building them hollow ; that is, air spaced within. Ample 



