Management of Farm-Horses. 
279 
and makes the warmest layer, but it should consist of oak-blocks 
or very hard wood, to prevent the absorption of moisture. From 
the great abundance of timber in the north of Europe, the stalls 
are mostly planked, and, in well-built stables, the lower part of 
the boarding is slightly grooved, to carry off" the urine — this both 
for horses and working oxen ; the latter of which are there never 
provided with litter. The pavement may be laid with a gentle 
declivity of about two inches from the front to the back part of 
the stall, and gratings should be placed behind for the passage of 
the urine into an underground drain, conveying it to the tank or 
manure heap. With regard to the litter, it is well to remove the 
droppings from the horses much oftener than is generally done, 
and not to allow them to tread on them. By so doing much 
litter is saved, and cleanliness and health promoted. It is also 
an excellent plan to scatter powdered burnt gypsum on the floor 
of the stable two or three times a-week. The expense is trivial 
and will be entirely repaid by the retention of much of the am- 
monia of the urine, whilst the floor behind the horses will appear 
as clean as a new hearth-stone. If the floor of the stable be 
bricked, it is also a very good plan to wash it out occasionally 
with water saturated with gypsum. 
Having now gone through the various branches of our subject, 
I must conclude with the hope that what has been written may 
in some slight degree tend to the improvement of the breed, 
the comfort, and the management of the noblest of domesticated 
animals ; believing that these ends may be accomplished, not 
only without any pecuniary sacrifice, but with decided advantage 
to the agricultural community. 
ADDENDUM. 
Tlie Show of Horses at York. 
Excellent as have been many^f the previous shows of the Royal Agricul- 
tural Society of England, it must be conceded that, so far as it relates to 
horses, the exhibition at York surpassed them all. Nay, we think we are 
justified in making the bold assertion that, taking it as a whole, it was the 
finest show ot horses of the kind ever brought together in this country, or 
perhaps in the whole world. This superiority is to be mainly attributed to 
two facts : one being that the show in question was held in a district celebrated 
beyond all others for its various breeds of horses, and that an unusually large 
number were brought together by the very attractive bill of fare which the 
Royal Society were enabled to offer through the liberality of the Yorkshire 
Agricultural Association, which body, instead of holding their accustomed 
Annual Meeting, presented to the Royal Agricultural Society the sum of 300/. 
This sum the Council resolved on devoting principally to Yorkshire purposes, 
and thus the department of horses came in for the liberal share of 210/., w hich 
was consequently divided into eleven prizes, and was thus the means of creating 
seven additional classes. Although the exhibitors for these extra prizes 
were confined to Yorkshire (an almost unnecessary distinction), there was a 
very numerous display of horses, which, whilst it increased the variety, added 
greatly to the attractions of the show-yard. 
