Among Horses in India. 3 



teing nothing to impede their passage, owing to the air 

 having been washecl clear of all the particles of dust which 

 floated in it during the dry season, and also owing to the 

 condensation into rain of the watery vapour which had been 

 suspended in it. The horses' backs then require to be as 

 carefully protected as before, by placing folded blankets 

 along their spines. 



Floors of Uncovered Lines. 



The floors of the uncovered lines in which not only Bengal 

 cavalry, but even horses of European corps are kept, are 

 frequently very defective. They are, as is proper, raised 

 above the level of the surrounding ground in order that rain- 

 water may run off ; but they are sometimes formed of porous 

 earth, into which the urine sinks to a depth of two or three 

 feet, giving off most noxious effluvia. 



The best material for them would be good concrete ; but 

 as that is too expensive for the native troopers, who have to 

 buy their own horses and make their own stable lines, at 

 least in the Bengal Presidency, the only good floor usually 

 practicable is one formed by digging out the soil to a depth of 

 at least a foot, and filling in the hollow with clean tenacious 

 clay, rammed as hard as possible, and added to until the sur- 

 face is five or six inches higher than the surrounding ground. 

 Upon this should be smeared a thin mortar-like mixture of 

 clay and water to fill all the cracks or other interstices. 

 Such a floor is almost impervious to urine, and during the 

 greater part of the year it is hard and dry. 



Kankar Floors. 



In those districts where the earth called kankar is found, 

 the floor can be greatly improved by mixing a quantity of it 

 with the clay, both being first broken into as fine pieces as 

 possible before being rammed down. The best plan is to 

 dry both kinds of earth, and, after powdering, pass them 

 through coarse sieves. They can then be very intimately 

 mixed, and if afterwards moistened and rammed, will form a 

 floor far harder and more durable than one of clay alone. 



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