236  On  the  Construction  of  Farm- Buildings. 
The  proper  construction  of  a building  for  the  purpose  of  that 
in  question  is  so  obvious  as  to  render  further  remarks  un- 
necessary. 
Of  the  Stables  (for  plan,  vide  Plate  I.  Nos.  5 and  6 ; for  eleva- 
tion vide  Plate  II.). — Too  little  attention  is  generally  bestowed 
on  the  construction  of  farm-stables,  by  which  horses  are  fre- 
quently more  liable  to  injury  in  their  health  and  usefulness  than 
might  arise  from  the  artificial  treatment  to  which  these  animals 
must,  in  some  degree,  be  necessarily  subjected  in  order  to  com- 
mand their  labour  economically.  Although  it  would  be  out  of 
place  to  fit  up  the  farmer’s  stable  in  the  style  of  elegance  fre- 
quently adopted  by  the  wealthy  for  their  pleasure-horses,  yet 
there  are  certain  properties  essentially  common  to  all  stables 
wherein  the  preservation  of  the  health  and  usefulness  of  the 
animals  is  kept  in  view,  whether  for  the  plough-horse,  the  car- 
riage-horse, the  hunter,  or  the  racer.  A stable,  to  be  perfect 
for  its  purpose,  should  be  well  lighted,  perfectly  dry  both  from 
above  and  below,  have  the  means  of  preserving  cleanliness  at  all 
times,  and  have  perfect  ventilation  and  means  to  regulate  the 
temperature  without  subjecting  the  animals  to  direct  draughts. 
The  reasons  for  the  properties  in  a stable  just  mentioned  are 
forcibly  pointed  out  by  the  late  Mr.  Youatt  in  his  treatise  on  the 
horse,  to  which  excellent  work  the  reader  is  referred  for  much 
valuable  information  relating  to  the  management  of  that  noble 
animal.  As  saving  of  space  need  never  be  an  object  in  the  site  of 
a farmery,  the  stable,  or  any  other  building  in  which  live-stock 
is  kept,  should  never  be  lofted.  The  uninterrupted  space  of  the 
roof  being  included  in  that  of  the  building  renders  a less  height 
of  wall  necessary,  and  ventilation  more  perfectly  and  easily 
attained. 
The  position  of  the  stable  should  be  as  near  as  possible  to  that 
part  of  the  farmery  from  whence  the  provender  and  straw  is 
supplied.  In  the  plan  referred  to  it  is  placed  adjoining  to  the 
straw-barn.  The  proper  length  for  a stable  is  6 feet  for  each 
horse  it  is  intended  to  contain,  and  the  breadth  should  not  be 
less  than  14  feet  within  the  walls.  The  stable  in  the  plan,  in- 
tended for  eight  horses,  is  48  feet  of  clear  length,  and  18  feet  in 
breadth,  including  the  thickness  of  the  walls.  The  height  of  the 
walls  may  be  9 feet  from  the  floor,  and  l£  brick  when  the 
walls  are  of  brick,  or  20  inches  if  of  stone,  will  leave  an  avail- 
able breadth  of  stable  of  15  feet  8 inches  in  the  one  case,  and  14 
feet  8 inches  in  the  other.  In  a stable  of  the  size  described, 
there  should  be  two  doors  in  the  west  wall,  the  construction  of 
which,  with  their  frames,  may  be  similar  to  those  already  de- 
scribed, and  the  apertures  for  them  furnished  with  dressed  stone- 
heads  and  cills.  The  stalls  should  be  9 feet  in  length,  leaving  a 
