462 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t November 17, 1881, 
refer to those plans of internal accommodation for horses as re¬ 
commended by some firms, and which are now much in fashion, 
and generally approved by noblemen and gentlemen who possess 
horses of the greatest value ; we shall, therefore, notice the stable 
fittings, including horse boxes and stalls, See., as sold by two 
important houses in the trade—viz., Messrs. Collam & Co., and 
the St. Pancras Ironwork Company. Although there are other 
firms and companies who can supply all the requisites for stabling, 
yet we have selected these merely as illustrations of what the 
trade can supply. 
The different style of loose boxes and stalls of various patterns 
and combinations of plans offer not only the most approved of 
the day, but of the most fashionable appearance as well as utility 
in practice ; for at present the plan is to provide the most im¬ 
pervious floors to either stalls or boxes with a drainage, by covered 
gutters from the apartments, into a trapped main which will clear 
away the liquid manure and fine sweepings into tanks and con¬ 
veniences of various forms situated outside the buildings. There 
are also various devices illustrated for the conversion of stalls 
into loose boxes, and vice versa, by ingenious and simple methods. 
The division of the stalls or boxes are for the most part composed 
of wooden panels surmounted by iron grating of various patterns ; 
but boarding is best fixed with seasoned wood, which is fixed in 
iron frame and sill by the patent wedge plan, in order that when 
repairs are required it is easy to remove the wedge and replace 
new boards. There is, however, a patent sill made with groove 
to receive boarding for the division of stalls or boxes, and also 
for ventilation, by means of the opening in the sill. However 
perfect the ventilation of a stable may otherwise be, if the am¬ 
monia and gases generated on the floor underneath the litter 
cannot escape there will always be some foul air retained, which 
it is the object by the improved sill to remove. We must now 
refer to the floors of both stalls and boxes which are now recom¬ 
mended, and in general use in some of the most important esta¬ 
blishments where valuable horses for fast work are kept.. 
This subject is alluded to in a very practical manner by the 
St. Pancras Company. Speaking of paving and drainage they 
say, “ There are four important points to be considered in rela¬ 
tion to paving—1st, strength and durability ; 2nd, cleanliness ; 
3rd, safety ; 4th, good appearance.” Colonel Fitzwygram in his 
book, “Horses and Stables,” says, “The material required for 
really good paving must be non-absorbent, watertight, easily 
cleaned, durable, and not slippery. It is not, however, easy to 
find a material which combines all these requirements.” The St. 
Pancras Company believe that their last invention completes a 
system of paving which supplies Colonel Fitzwygram’s deside¬ 
ratum in the fullest manner. The bricks sold and recommended 
by them are perfectly non-absorbent, and when properly laid 
on concrete and carefully grouted at the joints with Portland 
cement form a perfectly non-absorbent floor and watertight 
surface, through which no moisture can penetrate. They are 
made of the hardest materials that can be obtained. The clays 
are specially selected, and burnt at the highest temperature, 
the bricks are therefore hard and most durable ; they are also 
gritty as well as hard, so that they will not polish in wear and 
become slippery. These patent bricks have been used in Her 
Majesty’s stables for many years past, as they are found to be 
the most durable of any yet tried. Two faults are common to all 
ordinary forms of bricks, except the perfectly plain ones—namely, 
that the drainage passes along channels formed at the joints, and 
is therefore very liable to soak into the foundations, and that the 
chequers or cross-grooves retain dirt and wet in spite of sweeping. 
Both these faults are avoided in the new patent form of brick. 
When this is used the drainage runs along the solid impervious 
brick, only occasionally crossing a thin joint; and as there are 
no cross grooves one sweep of the besom sends all the dirt down 
immediately, and the semicircular form of the groove itself pre¬ 
vents dirt sticking at the bottom of it, as it always does more 
or less in angular grooves. The grooves in these patent bricks 
present the most perfect foothold for the horse in rising. Another 
advantage is that they carry away the wet so readily of them¬ 
selves that they can be laid with much less fall than common 
paving requires. There are three principal colours used—viz., 
blue black (Staffordshire), brown (Welsh), and orange or yellow 
(clinker). The last-named give a very cheerful appearance to a 
stable, passage, or yard, and the colour improves in use. 
We note that as regards the drainage either of stalls or boxes 
that the patent surface drain can be made either open or covered 
with wrought iron, the advantage of which in respect of strength, 
straightness, fewness of joints, and safety is fully apparent ; and 
that this patent gutter used with syphon drain pot, and with the 
patent bricks, makes probably the most perfect surface drainage 
for stables ever devised. In some plans we note that the surface 
gutter is carried up to the point where water can be received 
direct from the drinking trough, and the waste water running 
down the gutter carries with it the urine, and tends thus to purify 
the atmosphere of the stable. We also note that Butterworth’s 
registered dip trap, being designed as a sanitary drain pot, is 
made with a syphon trap cast in one piece with the pot, so that 
it cannot get out of order, and is always self-acting—a matter 
of great importance. Notwithstanding the various devices for 
ventilating stables it is, we think, advisable to have inlets for 
fresh air—such as perforated bricks or air tubes—under the racks 
or mangers, in order that a current of atmospheric air may carry 
the foul air up to the roof of the stable, where the outlet may be 
of various plans. The latest device we have noticed is Kite’s 
patent roof-ventilator, as applied to the roof of any stable or 
cow house. We have given these lengthy details because, before 
concluding this important subject, we shall have to relate the 
details of plans for stables of a totally different character from 
those above described. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—The chief work is still in connection with plough¬ 
ing and seeding the land with Wheat where root crops may have 
been fed off by sheep, such as common Turnips, Rape, and also where 
Carrots or Mangolds may have been removed. If the land be light 
we recommend ploughing and pressing and sowing broadcast in pre¬ 
ference to ploughing and drilling, because the seed will be buried 
deeper than when drilled, and in consequence will maintain a better 
hold on the subsoil. On the stronger lands it may be well to drill 
the seed at a wide distance, say 10 or 12 inches between the rows, for 
such soils are often infested with weeds in the spring, in which case 
the only way to obtain a full crop is by using the horse-hoe to destroy 
the weeds and to move the surface of the soil. This is often more 
important than an application of manure, simply because the weeds 
are destroyed and the surface soil effectually moved by one operation. 
Sow Wheat on land that has been cleared of a crop of Potatoes, but in 
case this should be delayed by adverse weather we would wait until 
spring and sow White Canadian or other early best white Oats. In 
case the Potatoes were grown with artificial manure the land should 
receive a moderate coat of box-made dung. This will answer better 
than reversing the manure, because the season is delayed too much 
by carting and spreading dung before planting Potatoes. The same 
plan may with advantage be adopted with Mangolds, unless the yard 
or box manure can be laid out and ploughed in during the winter ; 
for in this way there is no hindrance at seed time—a matter of great 
consequence to the Mangold crops. In all the land intended for roots 
next year, especially Potatoes and Mangolds, which has been autumn- 
fallowed, a few bunches of couch are frequently left. These, before 
the winter ploughing takes place, should be forked out by the 
women, as 2 s. 6d. expended in this way often saves the outlay of 
20s. worth of horse labour, besides saving valuable time at the sowing 
or planting season. 
Hand Labour .—This will now consist of filling and spreading dung, 
making out water furrows on the Wheat land recently sown. Men 
should also go spade in hand after a heavy rain and examine the 
■water furrows which may have been partially blocked by the silt 
collected in them, which will require to be removed with the spade. 
All the root crops, as fast as the leaves fall, should be examined, 
and any bunches of couch grass forked out before the sheep are 
folded on the land ; for after the sheep have trodden these lumps 
of couch into the land the opportunity for forking it out may be lost 
entirely by other work intervening. Draining work and trenching 
the meadows may now be done with advantage. In the irrigated 
meadows the drowner should be employed making out the leading 
and drawing trenches, for the water should now be laid on so that 
the first floods which occur may be thrown over the meadow, and 
thus the deposit of silt, always left by the first floods of the season 
in the largest and most valuable proportion. 
Live Stock .—As we are making these notes in the first week in 
November we still recommend that wherever the Clover seeds and 
Italian Ryegrass are of sufficient bulk for cutting they should be 
used for horses or any other cattle. We are now doing this on the 
home farm with great benefit to the animals, and with much more 
advantage to the grass plant than feeding off by sheep, as they can¬ 
not be trusted to feed fairly, but actually eat out the crowns of the 
Clover plants. No sheep should be fed on Clover after the 1st of 
November. We are using the Mangold leaves and Carrot tops for 
different animals, including breeding sows m the yards, which do well 
upon such food with a few peas or beans in their troughs twice a day. 
We may now expect lameness more or less amongst the sheep after 
the heavy rains peculiar to the period, and should be prepared with 
the remedy as fast as they break down. The latest remedy advised 
for washing the feet is with carbolic or salicylic acid dissolved in 
water; and if the infested animals’ feet are dressed on the second day 
after it is noticed, and they are placed on dry grass land by them¬ 
selves, they will soon recover without the disease spreading amongst 
the flock. This is now an interesting period for the owners of the 
best Somerset horned ewes,* for in many flocks more than half the 
sheep have lambed. There is probably no stock which will pay better 
