STABLE. 



parts, the portions of the racks, as well as the nature, di- 

 nienlions, and other circumftances of the mangers, are quite 

 different. In feme cafes, the racks are fixed about fourteen 

 inches from the walls, with but very little, if any, flant ; 

 having their bottom parts laid with fmall fpars, or tliin nar- 

 row pieces of wood, in an open manner, fo that the hay- 

 feeds can fall down through between them, and be received 

 in a drawer, or box, made tor the purpofe below, where they 

 are capable of being drawn or taken out at plealure. A fmall 

 box, or trough, is placed in fome convenient part, anlwcring 

 the purpofe of a manger, and which is fometimes made as a 

 drawer, to put in and draw out as there may be occafion. 

 The divifions of the ftalls fometimes rife pretty high at the 

 head parts, in the ordinary way ; and, at other times, in a 

 curving manner at the upper ends, from the tail-pofts to 

 nearly the ceilings of the ftables ; and flap-doors, the height 

 of the lower parts of the divifions, are fometimes fattened 

 with hinges to polls, or the walls behind the horfes. 



In other inftances, the racks are placed in half-circular 

 niches or receffes in the walls of the itables, oppofite the 

 divifions of the ftalls ; each niche being made to ferve two 

 Italls, by having a divifion in the middle betwixt them ; and 

 the racks themfelves are fometimes made in half-circular 

 1 rnis. The fame kind of half-circular racks are occa- 

 ionally,alfo put in the angles or corners of the italls, with- 

 out any niches; there being divifions between them, fo as 

 that they may ferve two ftalls : but the racks, in thefe cafes, 

 have not always the half-circular form, but are made and 

 iixed up in a ftraight manner. 



In all thefe cafes, fmall drawers or boxes ferve as man- 

 gers, for the horfes to eat their provender out of, as may 

 be neceflary. There are fome few other modes of fixing up 

 racks and mangers in ftables, as will be feen below ; but 

 thefe are probably the molt eligible and convenient, as well 

 as the molt economical and leaft expenfive in their nature 

 and means of putting up. 



The manner of fixing the window and the (hutters in the 

 windows of ftables is important in feveral relpedts, as they 

 contribute much to the proper regulation of the atmofphere 

 and ftate of heat in them, as well as to other matters. They 

 are both probably the beft and moft convenient, when ful- 

 pended and balanced upon two iron pins, fixed in the middle 

 parts of them, fo as to render them capable of turning and 

 Itanding in either or any direftion, and to be readily wholly 

 removed, in cafe of neceffity. When the windows are made 

 to flide up and down, the (liutters may atfo be fixed in this 

 way with advantage and good effcft. By thefe means the 

 air may be eafily let out or in, and be regulated in an exadl 

 manner, which will be of much advantage in different cafes 

 and circumftances of liable management. There is fome- 

 timeo a hopper fort of contrivance in itables, where neither 

 racks nor mangers are employed, which is broad at the top, 

 and has about fourteen inches width in the bottom part ; 

 being fparred, in order that the feeds may drop through into 

 a drawer made for the purpofe below. In each corner there 

 is a fmall box for corn, which fcrves as a manger ; the hop- 

 per part being divided in the middle, fo as to ferve two 

 ftalls as hay-mangers. This is a neat and convenient mode 

 in fome cafes, though rather expenfive in making and put- 

 ting up. 



There are ftill other contrivances in fitting up racks and 

 ftalls for preventing the unncccllary walte of labour and 

 food, as well as to guard againft the inconvenicncies of hay- 

 feeds falling into the eyes and ears of horfes, which have 

 been fuggelted by experienced farmers in other countries. 

 In one (et of contrivances in this intention, the racks are 

 placed in an upright manncfi and ttic perpendiculars of 



them are made to fall on the inner edgei of the trough* 

 below, which have fhelving leaves. In thefe cafes, when 

 the animals pull out the hay from the racks, the wafte part* 

 fall on the leaves, and thus flide down into the troughs, 

 where they are fecured from being fpoiled by the breath of 

 the horfes ; while the diftance between the bottoms of the 

 racks and the troughs is quite fufficicnt for the admilfion of 

 the heads of the horfes, fo as that they may get at the hay 

 which is dropped. The racks, in thefe cafes, are two feet 

 four inches in depth, and two feet at top from the edge 

 parts of them ; being planed within, in order that the hay 

 may fall to the bottoms of the racks gradually, in propor- 

 tion as it diminilhcs in quantity, and the animals be faved 

 the trouble of a long reach, which they are often obliged to 

 make in the itables which are fitted up in the old ufuat man- 

 ner. The animals arc fed and fupplied with the fodder from 

 the entry, which is fix feet in width ; the hay being dropped 

 through a trap-door from the itore-room above the liable. 

 This plan is the fuggeftion of Mr. Weft, an intelligent 

 North American farmer. Another plan in the fame inten- 

 tion has been propofed by Mr. Cooper, of another part of 

 the fame country, in which the racks of the ftalls of the 

 ftables have a fomewhat different conftruftion and pofition, 

 being formed with what are called Jlats, or thin (trips or 

 pieces of wood. In thefe the advantages are fuppofed to 

 be very great, as the upright flats prevent the horfes from 

 wafting the hay, as well as from blowing upon it : and be- 

 fides, the animals are prevented from looking round, a habit 

 to which horfes are much accullomed when any perfon 

 enters the ftable ; neither can they thruft their heads over 

 the troughs, as the flats compel them to feed direftly over 

 them, witliout turning to either fide. This mode of fitting 

 up the ftalls of ftables may be found of much utility, in dif- 

 ferent fituations and circumftances, in the management of 

 both faddle, farm, and team-horfes. 



Very great utility and faving in point of duration may 

 not unfrequently be produced, by having the internal and 

 fome other parts of the mangers and boxes, or other con- 

 trivances from which the horfes eat their feeds of corn and 

 other provender, lined and plated, or cafed with difterent 

 metallic fubltanccs. At Holkham-Hall, in the county of 

 Norfolk, Mr. Coke has his mangers themfelves, it is faid by 

 the writer of the corrected agricultural account of that 

 dillrift, plated with fhect-iron ; and the front edges, which 

 are rollers, covered with tin-plates. The bottoms of the 

 ftall divifions are likewife made of flate. It has alfo been 

 found that for ftables, as well as all other offices, thole lock* 

 which have copper wards are the belt, as being much more 

 durable than any other kinds. 



Stables, or the lofts over them, for faddle as well as for 

 farm, team, and carriage-horfes, are alfo not unfrequently 

 fitted up and provided with different forts of machinery and 

 contrivances for preparing and reducing the difterent articles 

 of food, which fuch horfes are to have, into the moft proper, 

 convenient, and economical forms, for their being given to 

 and confumed by them. Thefe are, for the moft part, 

 ilraw or chaft'-cuttcrs, bean, barley, or malt-crackers, and 

 oat-crudiing and bruifing machines. Such contrivances are 

 often of very great utility and convenience, when properly 

 managed, and put up in fuch ftable buildings, or the rooms 

 conneded with them ; and particularly where other more 

 valuable ufos are to be made of Itraw, pea and bean-haulm, 

 and other fimilar materials, than that of merely littering 

 animals. They are likewife ufeful in faving mi«.'h labour, 

 by their being always ready and at hand for performing 

 thefe difterent neceflary operations, as well as in feveral 

 other ways. 



Thi« 



