1904.] The Construction of Pigsties. 131 



though a useful flooring can also be made with a mixture 

 of tar and gravel, stamped and rammed into a solid block. 

 Care must, however, be taken in this case not to let it be 

 exposed too long to the sun's rays lest the tar melt and make 

 the whole surface soft. Bricks cannot be recommended unless 

 they are new and unbroken and are laid in cement at least six 

 inches deep, and even then they are liable to chip and crack, 

 which is a great disadvantage, as puddles are sure to come. 

 Stone flags are bad, as the manure sinks in between the joints 

 and makes the soil underneath impure and stinking, while 

 wooden floors, unless movable, are wholly to be condemned 

 as dangerous and mischievous in the last degree. Concrete, 

 therefore, should be used whenever possible. 



The preparation of such a floor is well within the means of 

 every workman who earns enough to afford to buy a pig, and it 

 is not difficult to make. It should be laid with a gentle slope 

 towards the front of the sty, and it is advisable to make the top 

 of the outer court lower than the bottom of the slope of the 

 inner court by about two inches. There will thus be a small 

 step between the two courts, which will enable drainage water 

 to fall with a rush and run away more rapidly. The object 

 of this is to secure dryness under foot, for, as has been already 

 said, that is not only more healthy for the pig, but it helps to 

 keep the floor from splitting or breaking away. Small channels 

 should also be made in the cement before it has hardened, and 

 these should run diagonally, in parallel lines, and not cutting 

 across each other in the way that is termed cross-hatching. 

 These diagonals or sloping lines should run from right to 

 left on the inner court, and from left to right in the outer 

 court. The reason for this will be given later on. Before 

 leaving this subject it is as well to emphasise this point : — The 

 slope of the floor should not be so great as to make it slippery, 

 lest the pigs on running out to their food should hurt themselves, 

 and for the same reason the surface of the cement between the 

 channels should be left slightly rough. 



The next point to be considered is the walls. These are too 

 often made of wood, which is generally an unsuitable material, 

 and should only be used when nothing better is to be had. Old 

 planks and parts of packing cases or boxes are to be con- 



L 2 



