266 MANUAL OF FABM ANIMALS 



Sunlight, the most efficient disinfectant as well as the most 

 powerful of all medicines, is free, and provision for its admit- 

 tance into any cow barn need cost but little. Window glass is 

 inexpensive. Old barns that are dark and dismal may easily 

 be provided with sufficient light by cutting holes in the walls 

 and putting in windows. Best results are obtained by cutting 

 the windows long from top to bottom and low, as more direct 

 sunlight will fall on the floors. 



Ventilation essential to health. — The importance of pure air 

 in a cow stable cannot be overestimated. It is essential to 

 the well being of the herd ; without it, disease will surely work 

 destruction. While there are many methods of ventilating a 

 dairy barn, the King system in some of its modified forms 

 is admitted to be the most efficient. If in addition the 

 windows are arranged as suggested on page 268, ample ven- 

 tilation can be procured. 



King's system of ventilation. — While there are many meth- 

 ods of arranging this system, it consists essentially of two 

 parts : the inlets and the outlets, in the form of flues. This 

 system will not work if the walls of the barn are full of cracks 

 or the floor is made of loose boards. The floor, walls, ceilings, 

 and windows must be so constructed as to prevent any large 

 quantity of air from leaving or entering. 



The inlets must be so constructed as to meet two condi- 

 tions ; first, they must admit the fresh air near the ceiling, 

 where the barn air is warm, in order that the fresh air may 

 mingle with the warmest air of the stable and raise the tem- 

 perature before descending to the floor, thus not allowing 

 the animals to lie in cold air. In the second place, they must 

 not permit the warm air to pass out instead of the cold fresh 

 air to come in. This is accomplished by constructing the inlet 

 flue so that it begins near the ground on the outside and ends 

 near the ceiling on the inside. All that is necessary is to have 

 the outer end of the flue several feet lower than the inner end. 



