1922.] Planning and Construction of Cow-Sheds. 



produce on poor clay soils, what may be described as a colour- 

 able imitation " of a rich pasture during a part of the grazing 

 season. On the average of a long term of years it has been 

 shown that suitable manuring and careful grazing may increase 

 the production of such poor land ton-fold, if both quantity and 

 quality be taken into account; and favoured by good seasons, 

 skilful management might even be rewarded by a greater return. 



These are the possibilities of improvement offered by certain 

 tvpes of poor pastures on clay land. When we come to the 

 question of the increase that could be expected over a wide area, 

 and in the circumstances and conditions under which the average 

 farmer works, we must be contented with a very different set 

 of ratios. If instead of a ten-fold increase, the occupiers of inferior 

 grazings added even ten per cent, to their output of store cattle and 

 sheep they would do well. Incidentally, too, by remedying the 

 grievances of those farmers who feed cattle in winter, and now 

 complain of the shortage of " stores," they might terminate a 

 current controversy. 



****** 



THE PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION 



OF COW-SHEDS. 



Major H. P. G. Maule, D.S.O., M.C., F.R.T.B.A.. and 

 A. Ewart Aston. 

 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. 



The increasing attention being given to the production of clean 

 milk inevitably opens up the question of the modern planning 

 and construction of cow-sheds, and the following article and 

 illustrations may be found interesting to those who contemplate 

 new buildings or the reconstruction of existing buildings in the 

 near future. 



The questions of planning to minimise labour in ministration 

 and to maintain the health and cleanliness of stock are well 

 understood, but nevertheless the larger proportion of cowsheds 

 throughout the country are far from being ideal, either in 

 arrangement, construction, or fittings. 



It has been pointed out by Mr. Mackintosh of the National 

 Institute for Research in Dairying in his article on M How to 



