374 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



some instances the purposes of a gutter are served by 

 simpl}^ slanting tlie floor of tlie passageway at the rear 

 of the stalls upward and outward for some distance from 

 the drop at the rear of the small platform. When this 

 method of construction is followed, the depth of the drop 

 should be as little as will suffice to protect the animals; 

 not more than 5 inches and even 4 inches may suffice. 

 The less deep the drop, the less the distance that is neces- 

 sary to continue the upward slope. This method of con- 

 struction admits of the use of a shovel of any desired 

 width in removing the droppings, and it makes it pos- 

 sible to use a horse and scraper in cleaning the stables. 

 The objections to it are, first, that it does not keep the 

 passageway so clean as the form of gutter described 

 below, and, second, that the slant in the fioor makes it 

 more slippery. 



The form of drop most commonly used is simply a 

 sunken trough at the rear of the platform on which the 

 cattle stand. This form of drop practically confines the 

 voidings within its own limits, which is a material aid 

 in keeping the stable clean. But with this form of drop, 

 the manure must needs be lifted out of the gutter by 

 hand labor, howsoever it may be conveyed subsequently. 



Gutters are usually constructed of wood or cement. 

 The objections to wooden gutters are, first, the ofifensive 

 odors that emanate therefrom, and, second, the quick- 

 ness with which they decay. Although cement gutters 

 are costly at the first, viewed from the standpoint of 

 duration, they are cheaper than those made of wood 

 and no offensive odors can follow as the result of ab- 

 sorption. 



When constructing gutters they should be made 

 wide rather than narrow, as the width of the shovel used 

 in removing the manure is influenced by the width of 

 the gutter. At the Michigan Agricultural College the 

 gutter in the cattle stables is 16 inches wide, 6' 2 inches 

 deep on the stall side, and 4'< inches on the opposite 



