Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-09-18

HAr-kAcKs.-In stables the hay-rack ia of oreat
Importance. In good stable we would rank in
me oiuer Of necessity, LIST. Thorough ventilation and
tctgaeuY. "a. Cleanliness, which can only be eff
moval Of dung. 3D. Size Of sa, and IN ,b Gs ,ra
include the length as well as width oftba stall e.
the stall should be at least nine feet lone ,s;,i, ~,
floor ten feet 18th. Hayracks. s' "''' '''
Racks have much to do with the comfor, NJ d.
horse, and especially with tired one If the NIL
be proper one he can easily fill himself and 90 10
rest; if bad one he is much longer in doing this
and his rest delayed; and fhe be strong feeder.
ne reeds and does not rest; if a poor feeder THAT
should be always urged to eat he goes to rest hun
cry. The strong feeder obtains the food but not
the rest to enable him to do his work the next days.
the poor FEEDER the rest, but not the food. Both
are sufferers, and, if the work be LONG continued
lose condition and are used nm
Hdy-racHs seem almost universally constructed
with view to render them hard TO be filled 4. 10
blind the horse by falling seeds; to foul the hay
with the breath Of the horse to prevent the horse
getting the hay in short to economist labor and
to waste labor; to economist hay and waste hay;
but never to save the horse trouble and labor. and
secure his food in abundance, and readily got. A
rack should present the fall this it should
be easy Tor the groom to fill easy for the horse to
empty It should not admit the hay to be fouled by
the horse.
Stalls are usually constructed on the sides of the
stable, with the hay-loft over head. The heads of
the horses stand to the sides ofthe stable The racks
slant in front from the bottom up are perpendicular
behind, narrow at the bottom, wide at the top, and
project over the horses head. Such racks have no
tone excellence or convenience. Being on one
side they are hard'to fll the roof being rarely
more than two three feet above the mouth Of the
rack-hole, access.o the rack is not easy. The rack
being wide above and narrow below, the hay gets
wedged in, and is difficult to- be eaten out and
when eaten out below does not fall from above
The projection of the rack occasions the seed and
dust of the hay to fall into the eyes and of the
horse; and also places the hay just the most con-
venient place to be made foul and disgusting by
the ascending breath Of the horse.
Now what are the requisites of good rack?-
The opening of the rack into the hayloft should be
above, OF higher than the floor of the loft If on
level, the dust and seed which gets shaken out of
the hay on to the loft floor, will be pushed into the
rackhole, and fall into the rack to fill the eyes, the
ears and the nose, to the injury Of sight, hearing
and breathing. The opening from the loft into the
rack should be wide, to admit the hay easily; for a
lazy groom will not fill the rack if it costs him much
labor The front and back of the rack should be
perpendicuar and it should be at least two feet
wde-far better if it be three. The bottom of the
rack should be some little below the level of the
horses mouth when held naturally; and should have
an inclination forward of one foot In three, and be
perfectly smooth. This descent and the smooth
ness will bring all the hay to the front OF the rack
at the rungs stats. The rungs or stats should
not be more than two feet long, and the space above
them should be boarded up tight all the way to the
ceiling. The rungs should be round, just wide
enough, and wider, to admit the nose of the horse,
and should not 60 quite to the bottom of the rack.
There should be an opening with door in the bot
tom, on the 'front.' the bottom of the rack to let
out the seed and dust. Such rack as here descri-
bed is free from all the objections to which ordina
ry racks are liable.-.4mericaa .Agricultlrist