STABLE. 



eragged. In the way of fprinkling the hay on the litter, 

 or laying it in a trough even with the ground, he not only 

 takes it up as if from the earth in a natural way, but can 

 eat as he lies, which is a kind of indulgence, that a horfc 

 takes great pleafure in. 



It is proper, however, in mod cafes, to have fome fort of 

 rack, or other contrivance, for the purpofe of containing the 

 hay, or other fort of fodder which the horfe may want, and 

 from which he might eat it with eafe and convenience to him- 

 felf. The beft and moil economical kinds are probably thofe 

 which are placed in an upright manner ni recefles in the walls, 

 or in the corners and angles of the Halls. 



When there is ftable-room enough, partitions are to be 

 made for feveral horfes to ftand in ; thefe fliould always allow 

 room enough for the horfes to turn about, and lie down con- 

 veniently in, and they fhould be boarded up fo high toward 

 the head, that the horfes placed in feparate ftalls may not 

 be able to fmell at one another, nor molelt each other any 

 way. One of thefe ftalls ought to be covered in, and made 

 convenient for the groom to lie in, in cafe of a great match, 

 or the Ccknefs of a valuable horfe. Behind the horfes there 

 flieuld be a row of pegs to hang up faddles, bridles, and 

 other neceffary utenfils ; and fome Ihelves for the hanging 

 up brulhes, &c. and the (landing of pots of ointment and 

 other preparations. 



The ftables of the nobility are often incommoded by bins 

 for oats placed in then, which take up a great deal of 

 room with very httle advantage. Dr. Plott has given us, in 

 his Hiilory of Oxfordfhire, a very convenient method, ufed 

 by a gentleman of that county, to prevent this. It is done 

 by making a conveniency to let the oats down from above, 

 out of a veffel like the hopper of a mill, whence they fall into 

 a fquare pipe of about four inches in diameter, let into the 

 wall, which comes down into a cupboard alfo let into the 

 wall, but with its mouth fo near the bottom, that there (hall 

 never be more than about a gallon in the cupboard at a 

 time ; which being taken out, and given to the horfes, an- 

 other gallon immediately fucceeds it from above, without 

 any trouble to the groom or any body elfe. By this means 

 there is not an inch of room loll in the lower part of the 

 liable where the horfes ftand : and there is this great con- 

 Teniency befidc, that the oats are always kept Iweet by it, 

 for every gallon that is taken away puts the whole quantity 

 above in motion, by the runnina down of the gallon that 

 fupplies its place, and no mullinefs ever comes where there 

 is this continual airing and motion. There may eafily be 

 contrived two of thefe, the one for the oats, the other for 

 fplit-beans ; and both of thefe may be let into the range of 

 preffes, the oats and beans being feparated above by parti- 

 tions. The other requifites for a ftable are, a dung-yard, a 

 pump, and a conduit ; and if fome pond or running river be 

 near, it is much the better. 



But with regard to farm-ll,ables, it is not, however, nc- 

 ceflary to attend fo much to elegance in their conllrudllon as 

 in the above cafes ; it is fufficient to have them mat, handy, 

 and convenient. And in order to thi.-, they Ihould be 

 fituated fo as to be contiguous to the other offices, with 

 which ttjey may have tlie greatell conneftion or relation. 



It has been obfervcd by Mr. Bealton, in the lirll volume 

 of Communications to the Board of Agriculture, that in the 

 contriving and fitting up of the racks and mangers in thefe 

 buildingf, great attention fhould be had to economy and the 

 convenience of labour. The mod common and ufual me- 

 thod of making them, fo as to extend quite acrofs the upper 

 end of the It.ill, i^ a bad and expenfive pradice, and which 

 ka% much inconvenience in the foddering of the borlcs ; as, 



in order to fave trouble, fervants are »ery apt to ftufT the 

 racks full of hay, ho«icver large they may be, from which 

 many bad confequcnces arifc, and niucli hay lb loft or de- 

 ftroyed by being pulled down and mixed with the litter, or 

 trodden under the feet of the animals. Bcfides, various bad 

 effcdls refult from the prafticc of fuffcring horfes to be con- 

 tinually (lufliiig themiclvcs with hay, as is well known to 

 thofe who are accuftomed to the proper management of fuch 

 animals ; as under their direflions they arc never permitted 

 to have much hay in their racks at a time. Another difad- 

 vantage alio attends this mode of fitting up ftalls, cfpecially 

 for farm-horfes, as it ought to be the objcCl to preferve every 

 thing ; the hay-feeds are totally loft, which, if good, and 

 carefully fecured, might be of great utility and value. And 

 by the praftice of placing the racks with fo much inchnation 

 outwards, the feeds are alfo very apt to fall into the horfe's 

 ears and eyes, which often caufe difagreeable effefts. For 

 thefe reafons, it is fuppofed that racks fhould have a perpen- 

 dicular diretlion, not having a fpace of more than fourteen or 

 fixteen inches from the wall ; the bottom being fparred, in 

 order to let the feeds fall down through below, whence 

 they may be removed by a fort of Aiding fliutter. Thefe 

 advantages may alfo be neatly and conveniently obtained by 

 leaving niches in the walls for the racks, on which plan the 

 fpars will be equal with the infides of the walls. Where the 

 niches and racks are made in the middle of the ftalls, two 

 feet, or two feet and a half wide, will in moil cafes be fuffi. 

 cient ; they fhould, however, be carried down low enough 

 to admit of a fmall box or drawer being placed under them, 

 for the reception of the hay-feeds. Racks of this fort may 

 likewife be placed in the corners of the ftalls, and be made 

 in fuch a way, as that one niche may ferve two ftalls. And 

 they may be placed in the angles of the ftalls without having 

 any niche, and may be made of a femicircular form. But 

 in whatever way they are formed, there fhould conftantly 

 be a divifion betwixt them, which is probably beft made of 

 deal. Where the racks are put in the corners of the ftalls, 

 it may, perhaps, be more advantageous to have them llraight 

 than circular ; but in whichever way they are formed, the 

 farmer ftiould always have a hatch fixed for each ftall, as by 

 that means a great deal of time may be faved in feeding his 

 horfes. 



If the above methods be adopted, it muft be unneceftary 

 to make a manger of the fame width with the ftall ; as z 

 box or drawi-r, fixteen or eighteen inches long, and twelve 

 or fourteen inches wide, will anfwer every intention perfectly 

 well. But it ftiould be fo contrived that it may be readily 

 taken out and cleaned whenever it is fouled, or becomes 

 furred witli dirt. With the fixed mangers thii can never be 

 done. 



Befides this, there is another method of making ftalls, 

 which, as being cheaper and more economical, deferves to 

 be regarded by the farmer : on this plan the ftable has nei- 

 ther racks nor mangers; the head of the Hall it boarded 

 about three feet from the ground, having a Ipace of about 

 two feet from the wall, in which the hay is to be depofiled, 

 the horfe pulling his hay from bilow, initead of drawing it 

 from al)ove ; which is not only more natural, but prevents 

 the wafte of hay, much of which drops down and is loft, 

 when the horfe eats from a rack. But cvei in thisconllruc- 

 tion, it will be neccdary to have the bottom fparred within 

 eight or ten inches of the ground, and a box, lioppcr, or 

 hay-manger and drawer, fo contrived as to receive the 

 feeds of the hay : where there are double ftalls, the boxes may 

 be divided in the middle. Single Halls, where they can be 

 conveniently made, fhould, however, always be preferred, as 

 4 P 2 being 



