500 = 254 
Practical Agriculture. 
Ilammels. 
Boxes. 
Size of yards 
stalls and 
boxes. 
In a well-made house, sufficiently closed-in to be warm 
without being dark or impeding ventilation, cattle do well ii 
stalls. The least amount of litter is required, because th 
beast's droppings are cleared out every day. The disadvantage 
are that a great deal of labour in " attendance" is required, am 
the animals get no exercise whatever — supposed to be necessar 
for their health. As to this latter objection, all depends upo 
the length of time the animals are thus in durance. 
Mature and fatting animals are thus stalled for half a yea 
together ; but milking cows that live in stalls should be turne 
out daily for an hour or two loose in a yard. 
The " hammel" system combines the advantages of open yart 
and of stalls. Each shed {i.e. a compartment of a long hove 
partitioned off) should be of a size to contain easily froi 
two to four beasts, so that they can comfortably walk round i 
and the doorway opens into a small uncovered yard ; the be.' 
arrangement being a long building, subdivided into boxes, wit 
a row of little yards outside. The troughs for the food an 
also moveable racks are in the yards. 
The animals have more freedom than when fed in clo.' 
houses — they have moderate exercise to keep them health 
without hindering their fattening — they get sun and air, rail 
too, if they please, and shelter whenever they choose. Thf 
can go to the food when they like, and this, being in the ope 
air, keeps fresh. In fact, nature is consulted so far as is con 
patible with convenience of administering food and beddin 
The cost of attendance is less than on the stall system, tl 
dung being covered over with fresh litter, instead of heir 
removed ; and the manure, too, being about one-third pa 
under cover, is little less powerful than that from coven 
boxes. 
" Boxes" — compartments inside sheds completely und 
cover — preserve the animals from cold and from disturbanc 
The cattle have a moderate amount of exercise?', require Ic 
attendance than when in stalls, less straw is required for beddii 
than in open yards, and the manure, screened from sun, win 
and rain, and absorbing the urine, is superior to that produa 
by other plans. 
The space suitable for cattle in open yards, with shelter shed 
may be taken at about 100 square feet per head, including tl 
sheds. In covered yards, where the animals have always a d; 
bed, the area may be reduced to 80 square feet, including th 
occupied by the feeding-troughs. In single boxes, which a! 
constructed of very varying sizes, Mr. J. Bailey Denton (in fal 
valuable work ' The Farm Homesteads of England ') conside 
DO square feet a fair standard area, including the space covenj 
