348 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



Stable. On the whole, it would seem correct to say that the 

 preference is for a detached milk room, that it may be 

 removed from the odors that are more or less present in 

 stables, which afi'ect adversely the quality of the milk 

 and milk products. But with properly constructed par- 

 titions the milk room may also be a part of the stable. 

 The furnishings of the milk room will depend upon 

 what is done with the product in it, but usually it will 

 have in it at least a separator. 



Water is sometimes furnished in metal basins in 

 the side of the stalls. Into these it flows automatically. 

 In other instances it is made to flow in a trough in front 

 of the mangers. In yet other instances it is furnished 

 in a tank within a shed where it is not much liable to 

 freeze. Again it is furnished in a tank in the yard. In 

 mild latitudes it may be furnished by a stream near the 

 stables. The first and second methods have the merit 

 of providing water whenever the cattle care to drink it, 

 but they are open to the objection that the water soon 

 loses its sweetness in such an atmosphere, which, with 

 dairy cows, would be objectionable. Water furnished 

 from a tank in a shed, and covered save when the cattle 

 are drinking, may usually be kept in good condition and 

 without the expense of heating artificially, as is required 

 in some instances in tanks in the yard. The animals 

 call for more or less exercise daily, and when thus un- 

 loosed may take water When furnished in a trough 

 in front of the stalls, it may, of course, be drawn ofif 

 when the cattle have satisfied themselves, but the trough 

 is more or less in the way of feeding under some con- 

 ditions of construction. Stagnant ponds are the most 

 objectionable sources of water supply summer or winter. 



Stables built on the basement plan. — It has already 

 been intimated that in basement stables many of the 

 desired requisites relating to convenience in feeding may 

 l)e obtained more readily than in stables which do not 

 embody the basement idea. (See page 344.) The com- 



