^32 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



Cow stables should be kept clean all the time; a little atten- 

 tion once or twice a day is not sufficient. If the cows are kept 

 ■constantly in their places, an attendant should pass through the 

 stables several times a day and remove all droppings. When the 

 herd is large, a boy or man may well be continuously employed 

 for this purpose. This is more necessary than formerly, on ac- 

 count of the high feeding usually practiced and the consequent 

 soft manure of disagreeable odor. It is' well to make free use 

 of land plaster for the purpose of absorbing moisture and un- 

 desirable odors, as well as increasing the value of the manure. 



At certain periods, depending upon the thoroughness of the 

 daily work, the stables should be given extra careful and com- 

 plete cleanings. The following directions may appear formid- 

 able, but they call for nothing more than is frequently done in 

 many model dairies, ^o nook nor corner should be overlooked. 

 All manure and fodder should be taken out, the six sides of every 

 room swept, any rotten woodwork replaced, loose boards secured, 

 dried accumulations about mangers, etc., removed, and the 

 anangers scrubbed with hot water and soap, sal soda, or lye. If 

 the floor is earth, it should be removed to a depth of a few 

 inches and refilled with fresh material. After this work has been 

 «done, it is well to go over the walls, ceiling, floor, stables, etc., 

 ^th hot steam direct from a boiler. Such careful cleaning should 

 be followed by a coatof whitewash, which may be applied quickly 

 and satisfactorily with a spray pump. It acts as a disinfectant 

 and makes the building lighter. Care should be taken to have 

 it penetrate all cracks and crevices. Whitewash may be easily 

 made by mixing 60 pounds of water with 100 pounds of quick- 

 lime. To each quart of this mixture 5 quarts of water are 

 added. Salt or glue are sometimes used to improve the quality. 

 It should be applied at least twice a year. A receipt for white- 

 wash, recommended by the Light-House Board of the United 

 States Treasury Department, and in successful use for many 

 years, is as follows: 



Slake half a bushel of unslaked lime with boiling water, 

 J^eeping it covered during the process. Strain it and add a peck. 



