STABLE. 



fof them to go into at pleafure, furnifhed with pumps and 

 ciilerns, as in thefe. With this fort of management tliey 

 are fuppofed to do better, even without drefTmjr, than in 

 regular ftables, by the ordinary management which is be- 

 llowed on them by farm-iervants in fuch cafes. Thefe 

 forts of ftables are faid to have anfwered well in praftice, in 

 feme inftances. They are found beneficial, when with 

 yards, in the winter feeding of the horfes on dry fodder and 

 carrots, or other fimilar roots ; alfo in fummer, feeding 

 them with different forts of green food and dry meat. It 

 has been fuggeited, however, that as fuch cold fhcd-ltables 

 feldom do well for horfes, thofe of the regular liable kind 

 may he the moil proper in general, and efpecially in all the 

 more northern diltrifts of the kingdom ; though the open 

 fhed fort may fometimes be ufeful and advantageous in the 

 more fouthern parts of the country, where the winter fea- 

 fons are more mild and favourable, as well as more iliort in 

 their duration. Low Ihed-ftables, with large fliding (hat- 

 ter openings behind the horfes, may often be cheap, proper, 

 convenient, and ufefu!, where foiling farm and team-horfes, 

 during the fummer feafon, is praftifed to any great extent ; 

 as the animals, it is laid, not only do better in them, but 

 are much more eafily managed in fupplying them with the 

 different forts of green fodder in the moll fuitable and proper 

 manner ; and, at the fame time, there are advantages pni- 

 duced in the way of raifing manure. Thefe ftables fhould 

 always be provided with fuitable racks for the purpofe ; 

 and there fliould be proper drains for conveying aw.iy all the 

 liquid matters that may be produced, in fuch modes of 

 feeding, into the littered yards, or other places deftined for 

 forming and containing the manure. They (hould hkewife 

 have proper places provided m or near them, for the recep- 

 tion of the new-cut green food, from which it can be 

 readily and with facility diftributed to the different animals 

 in fmall fuitable proportions, as it is wanted ; there being 

 Jarge fuitable openings into them, left for the purpofe of 



ceiving the carts, or other conveyances by which it may 

 ".' brought to the ftables. The horfes are probably the 

 bell and moft advantageoufly managed, in all fuch cafes, 

 when kept conftantly tied up in the llalls. 



In all forts of ftables, or very contiguous to them, as 

 has been already fuggefted, there rtiould always be proper 

 places provided for the reception and fecuring of different 

 forts of harnefs and other articles and things of that kind 

 in ; as well as fuitable well-fecurcd and convenient places 

 for fixing up properly contrived corn-bins in. When thefe 

 ftables are Imall, it is in general moll convenient to have 

 the corn-bins placed and put up in the rooms above them, 

 and fo contrived and conllrufted, as that the feeds may be 

 'i-CTulatcd and drawn from a fpont carried down into the 



jble part below, as by fuch contrivances, much time, 

 labour, trouble, and occafionally food, may not unfre- 

 quently be faved, which would otherwiic have been fpent 

 in going to tlie bins, mcafiiring the grain or other forts of 

 provender from them, and fecuring them again. By having 

 fuch forts of contrivances duly provided in ftables, many 

 fither forts of fubltanccs and materials, as food, can be kept 

 fafely and ready prepared, befide thofc of corn, either in a 

 mixed or fcparate ftate, as may be moft luitable and con- 

 venient ; fuch, for inftance, as fplit-beans, cut-ftraw, bean 

 :iiHi pea-haulm, and a great variety of other fimilar matters, 



hich are of much confequence in the feeding and foddcr- 

 • j;,' of all foits of horfes. 



On large farms, and in other fituations where there is 

 much room and convenience, it is always the beft way to 

 have fuch chelts, bins, or other contrivances, conftrufted 

 jud fitted up on the moft improved principles, as thofe of 



the aerated granary or fome others, which have the means 

 of preferving the grain or other matters in a perfeftly fweet 

 and found ftate. Where the former of thefe plans is adopted 

 and had recourfe to, the beft form is probably that of 

 fomewhat the cubical, the bottom part being made, in fome 

 degree, in the manner of the common hopper, having the 

 Aider in the lower part of it fo fixed and contrived, as that 

 it may ftand about eighteen or twenty inches from the floor 

 of the place in which the bin or chell is put up ; as by 

 fuch means, fufficient room and convenience will be afforded 

 for receiving and taking out the corn or other provender 

 as it may be wanted. In all thele kinds of bins or chefts, 

 the fpouts for aerating the grain or other matters may with 

 perfedl eafe, facility, and convenience, be formed and fixed 

 from one fide to the other of them ; the external openings 

 or air-holes being conftantly well lecured by gratings of 

 iron- wire. In the fpout parts of thefe bins, which moftly 

 projedl confiderably below them, there are plate-iron Aiders 

 at their bottoms, which are fecured by a fmall lock and 

 key, where neceffary. They have often alfo other fmall 

 Aiders put juft above thefe, for the purpofe of afccrtaining 

 and regulating the feeds of the horfes, by which they can 

 readily and without inconvenience be taken out as wanted 

 for them. 



The moft ufeful and convenient machine for the ufe of 

 ftables, in cruihing and bruifing the grain and other fub- 

 ftances which are neceffary in them, is probably that con- 

 ftrufted by Rawntree, as it takes up but little room, while 

 it is very effective in reducing all fuch materials. It is 

 found to operate well on oats, beans, peas, barley, and 

 other kinds of grain employed as horfe-iood ; and at the 

 fame time is capable of bruifing malt for brewing. 



Machines of the mill-kind are likewife fometimes bene- 

 ficial in ftables for the purpofe of preparing particular forts 

 of horfe-food. The turning horizontal hand-mill, invented 

 by Mr. Wright, may probably be found a good and ufeful 

 contrivance for performing the necellary bufinefs in thefe 

 fituations, as it occupies but a very fmall fpace, is readily 

 managed, and fufficiently effeftive for the purpofe. 



It may alfo be of importance, that ftables (hould be better 

 lighted than what is commonly the cafe, as the blindnefs 

 which is fo frequently met with among horfes, has lately 

 been attributed, and not without confiderable probability, 

 to an excefs of the ilimulus of light on their coming out 

 of dark or du(l(y ftables, where the irritability of the organ* 

 of fight has been for fome length of time accumulating, 

 into the full and broad glare of day-light. 



As farm-ftables are moftly, during the fummer months, 

 very generally much expoled to the full open air,' the 

 doors, wickets, or windows of them being very feldom (hut, 

 except at night, and then but very rarely j the confequence 

 of lucii full expofure is, that flies, which are attrafted by 

 the horfe-dung and other fimilar matters, have very free ac- 

 cefs into them ; but as it may commonly be obferved, that 

 in fuch expofed ftables, too, the fpider is very prevalent, as 

 is fcen by the number of cobwebs whicii are prcfent ; it 

 may, of courfe, be unwife and improper to difturb or de- 

 ftroy them, as the infeft fliould probably be cherijhed in 

 fuch ftables, as it may favc the liorfe from the irritation of a 

 variety of little troublefome enemies and difturbers. The 

 provifion of fuch an infeft is natural, and the ufeful con- 

 fequences of it (hould not be difregarded by the farmer ia 

 fuch ftables. 



In concluding the account of ftablca, it may be jud 

 noticed, that the manner of treating and managing faddle 

 and light carriage-horfcs in them is often very negligent, 

 uneconomical, and improper, as the different kinds of food 



which 



