On  the  Construction  of  Farm- Buildings. 
239 
Should  the  window  above  described  be  deemed  too  expensive, 
a sliding-bar  shutter,  having  a row  of  small  glazed  panes  above, 
may  be  substituted.  The  reason  for  recommending  windows  for 
a stable  being  placed  in  the  wall  at  the  head,  instead  of  the  usual 
position  in  the  wall  opposite  to  the  bottom  of  the  stall,  is  that  the 
air  may  be  more  immediately  applied  to  the  breathing  of  the 
horses,  and  the  light  being  thereby  furnished  direct  instead  of 
reflected,  which  latter  mode  of  furnishing  light  is  injurious  to  the 
sight,  and  frequently  the  unsuspected  cause  of  blindness  of  horses. 
The  roof  should  be  furnished  at  its  ridge  with  a cupola  of  wood, 
the  sides  of  which  should  be  latticed,  to  carry  off  heated  and 
vitiated  air  generated  by  the  breathing,  perspiration,  and  excre- 
ments of  the  horses.  Fig.  1 below  is  the  front  view  or  elevation,, 
and  Fig.  2 the  vertical  section  of  such  cupola.  The  floor  may 
be  of  flags,  or  paved  evenly  with  blocks  of  any  hard  stones  as  can 
conveniently  be  obtained,  well  squared  and  fitted  close  in  their 
joints. 
The  offices  marked  6 on  the  plan  are  intended  for  two  loose 
boxes  for  stallions,  foaling  mares,  or  sick  horses,  each  to  be  9 feet 
wide  in  the  clear  when  separated  from  the  stable  (5),  and  from 
each  other  by  brick  walls  of  one  brick  in  thickness:  such  walls  to 
be  9 feet  high,  and  have  a door  in  each  4 feet  wide  by  7 feet 
high.  Each  box  to  have  an  external  door  to  the  yard  (16),  same 
as  the  external  doors  previously  described ; and  the  box  next  the 
dung-pit  (7)  to  be  separated  from  that  conveniency  by  a brick 
wall  carried  up  to  the  ridge  1^  brick  thick,  when  that  material  is 
used,  or  18  inches  thick  when  the  buildings  are  of  stone;  the 
last-mentioned  wall  having  a door  communicating  with  the  dung- 
pit  4 feet  wide  and  7 feet  high.  The  boxes  to  be  furnished  with 
windows,  a cupola  in  the  ridge,  fitted,  and  paved  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  stable. 
Of  the  Dung-pit  (for  plan,  vide  Plate  I.,  No.  7).— In  the  plan 
