4:18 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[November, 
wood plank, two inches thick, and one foot wide, 
the lower edge of which is placed about 24 feet 
from the floor; the bottom should be one foot 
wide. The side of the hay-rack is one foot wide, 
the front is 18 inches wide ; the top and bottom 
being of the same width, so that hay will not lodge. 
The bottom is made from 14-inch hard board, and 
is placed one foot above the top of the manger. 
Two guards, one inch in diameter, and one foot in 
length, are placed in an upright position across the 
opening. At the front of the manger is a swinging 
door, which is shown partly open. This opens 
into the feed-passage. The manger may have one 
end partitioned for feeding grain. All corners 
should be smoothed and rounded off, and to make 
it durable, I would attach a thin, flat bar of iron to 
the upper edge of the manger by screws or rivets. 
Stable Fittings—Safe-guards.— Many horses 
are injured by becoming untied or breaking loose 
and ranging in the stable, and being kicked by other 
Fig. 2.— INTERIOR OF STABLE. 
animals ; this of course is generally the result of 
carelessness in tieiug or adjusting of the halter- 
head. To guard against such an accident, it is nec¬ 
essary in some manner to bar the passage-way in 
rear of the stall. A very good plan of doing this is 
shown in figure 2. The arrangement consists of a 
bar of hardwood, 2 inches square, one end of which 
fits closely into a hole made two inches deep in the 
boarding, at the rear of the stall, or a notch is sawed 
into a piece of hardwood board and nailed at the 
point desired, as shown in figure 3. The opposite 
end fits into a recess cut into the upper end of the 
elbow of the stall, and may be secured by a wood¬ 
en pin, but it will be quite unnecessary, as horses, 
when loose in a stall, will rarely try to raise and 
throw this bar out of position. A more secure and 
convenient arrangement consists of a round stick, 
2 inches in diameter, which fits loosely into a hole 
bored through the scantling at the front of the el¬ 
bow of the stall, and '2 • 
inches from the top of 
the same. A hole is 
also bored, into the 
wall, at the rear of the 
stall, into which the end 
of the bar fits when in 
position ; when not in 
use it is simply pushed 
inward, sliding upon a 
board, the end striking 
against the standard, if 
it is at the right place ; 
if not, a hole is bored 
through this also, and 
the hoard extended beyond, with a block nailed at a 
joint, letting the end of the bar project i of an inch 
beyond the elbow, so that it may be moved in po¬ 
sition at night. Two forms of doors for the re¬ 
moval of soiled bedding, etc., are shown near the 
floor in figure 2. One is a slide door, and is retain¬ 
ed in position by a weight. The other is secured by 
hinges at the top, upon which it swings ; a weight¬ 
ed cord may also be used for keeping it open, or a 
leather strap may be nailed to the lower end, and 
hooked over a nail when the door is swung open. 
Skeleton Dooe for Coops. —To protect young 
Fig, 3.— REST FOR BAR. 
chicks from weasels, rats, and other enemies, at 
night, I use a skeleton door, as shown in the en¬ 
graving, figure 4. For new coops use slats about 
Fig. 4.— SKELETON DOOR FOR COOPS. 
21 inches wide, or if old coops are to he used, I lay 
them down, with the slat side up, and fit pieces of 
boards in each space, then nail on a couple of cleats, 
and make a hole in the top piece. During the day 
it may be hung upon the fence as shown in the en¬ 
graving. When placed upon the coop, a wooden 
button secures it firmly in position. A perfectly 
close fit is not necessary or desirable, but no space 
should exceed a quarter of an inch. I prefer the 
bottom of the coops to be open, and move the 
coop once in three or four days. By the use of this 
skeleton door, chicks may be kept in until the 
heavy dews disappear, or during rainy days, when 
they would otherwise roam around iu the wet grass. 
To Prevent Cattle Throwing Fences, Hook¬ 
ing, etc.- —To prevent 
a cow from throwing 
fences or hooking other 
cows, make a wooden 
strip 24 inches wide, and 
J of an inch thick, and 
attach it to the horns 
by screws; to this is 
fastened, by a small 
bolt, a strip of hard¬ 
wood, 3 inches wide, 4 
an inch thick, and of 
a length sufficient to 
reach downward within 
an inch of the face, 
and within 2 or 3 
inches of the nostrils. In the lower end of this 
strip are previously driven several sharp nails, 
which project about 4 of an inch. The arrange- 
Fig. 6 . latches. Fig. 7. 
rnent is shown in figure 5 ; the strip, when proper¬ 
ly attached, allows the animal to eat and drink with 
all ease, but when an attempt is made to hook or to 
throw a fence, the 
sharpened nails soon 
cause an abrupt cessa¬ 
tion of that business. 
Desirable Gate 
Latches. —Some of the 
most desirable forms of 
gate latches, and the 
manner of constructing 
them, ar,e here shown. 
That in figure 6 is the 
most simple in con¬ 
struction, the latch 
should he from 2 to 24 
feet in length, I inch 
thick, 24 inches wide, 
and made of hardwood. 
Either of the forms shown in figures 8 , 9, or 10, will 
be desirable for securing the end of the latch when 
Fig. 8 . Fig. 9. Fig. 10. 
fji/ 
the gate is closed. The plan of figures 8 and 9, alio w- 
ingthe gate to open both ways, and that of figure 10 
but on a way. In figure 7 
the latch is self-shutting, 
a strong string, or short 
chain, connects the latch 
with the board ; the outer 
end of the latch fits loose¬ 
ly into the gate frame, 
while the opposite end 
works freely between the 
connecting pieces. The 
one in figure 11 is also 
self-acting, six inches of 
the latch is made one inch 
in diameter,and fits loose¬ 
ly into a hole in the part 
A ; between this and the 
shoulder of the latch a 
coiled springis used. Ibis 
Fig. 11.— LATCH. 
plain that when the latch is pushed hack, the action 
of the spring will again bring it forward. The 
plan of figure 12 is 
different; two inches 
from the inner end, a 
piece i of an inch square 
is cut out and through 
the connecting pieces ; 
24 inch wooden pins are 
inserted 24 inches apart, 
between which the 
latch slides when in 
use ; when the latch is 
moved outward, the 
notched part falls by 
its own weight, and 
catches over the lower 
piece. To prevent _. 
V . u , 4 . f Fig. 12.— LATCH, 
shoving back too far, a & 
i-inch wooden pin is inserted in the latch, as shown. 
V/ 
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The Foreign Cattle and Beef Trade. 
The exportation of live cattle, fresh beef and 
mutton from the United States and Canada to 
Europe, although it began only about a year 
ago, has already become a business of considerable 
magnitude. The first shipment of fresh beef from 
New York was made in October 1875, and since 
then over 10,000 carcasses have been exported. The 
business was originally in the hands of one wealthy 
stock dealer, but recently shipments have been 
made by two others. The first party has now con¬ 
tracts with 17 ocean steamers, in which refrigera¬ 
tors are provided for the meat. This new business 
is one of great interest to farmers and consumers 
of meat in this country, as well as in England and 
other countries, although, curiously enough, each 
of these parties interested, is affected in an exactly 
opposite manner. The American farmer hopes for 
an increase in the value of his beef cattle, while the 
English farmer dreads a decrease in the price of 
his. The English consumer, on short rations, be¬ 
cause of the high price of meat in his markets, 
hopes for a better supply and lower prices, and the 
American consumer, paying all he possibly can, 
and hoping for a reduction of his butcher’s bills, 
fears a shorter supply and still higher prices. To 
make the business more complicated still, we find 
the reason for it all existing, on the one hand in the 
more wholesome feeding of our cattle upon grass, 
hay and corn, and the more mature condition in 
which they come to market, in consequence of 
which the meat is of a better quality than the hulk 
of the English beef, and quite equal to their very 
best; and on the other hand, in the hasty and 
forced manner in which English farmers have of 
late fed their beeves, using oil cakes of various 
kinds, and stall feeding in place of pasturing and 
feeding upon roots, hay and grain ; and of rush¬ 
ing their cattle to market loaded with fat, in¬ 
stead of flesh, at an age far too early for ripe¬ 
ness and healthy maturity. The whole question, 
therefore, becomes a most interesting study for 
farmers on both sides of the water, and one which 
excites the hopes and fears of two great meat eat¬ 
ing nations. • The most important question to every 
