The Grand Haven news., 1865-12-06


- .4s sxtAN1
The place in which so useful and yslus
able an animal as the horse is 10 spend
all the hours 10 which be is not actually
engaged in bis masters service, should Be
SO constructed and arranged as 70 give
the greatest possible comfort to the bTi in
mate. II is true that in a wild stato-
in bis native forests OF plains, the horse
endures great changes Of temperature
without any apparent Injury, but it must
be remembered that, BY domestication,
the character and hardness of the horse
has been changed. Like the human, the
equnine race has been much improved by
civilization, but, with this improvement
has come the necessity for greater care,
choicer diet and some more sheltered
sleeping place than under the branches Of
. tree, Dexter could never have trotted
q mile IN the wonderfully short time that
has recently placed him az the head Of the
best OF trotters, had lie been allowed "to
run ont al nights exposed 10 the cold
winds and frosts or been fed ON frost
withered grass alone. SIX ~ 4.a .sas
Although the. horse is usually better
cared for than any other of the farmers
animals, yet we rarely find arstable in
which all the essentials of good stable
are combined. While many stables are
SO open that the horses. are exposed To-
cold draughts of air and thus made much
less comfortable, not few farmers have
gone 10 the opposite extreme, and, in their
desire TO secure warmth, have neglected
TO provide any means for ventilation. To
compel horse to stand in a stable, as
close as some Of them are, is TO oblige
him TO breathe air made impure, not only
by former breathing but by the gases
arising from the manure and urine. II
the stable is also dark, the evil is In
creased. II is unnatural to keep horse
in darkness and experience has showed it
to be injurious. The frequency TO blind
ness or diseases Of the eyes in our horses
is doubtless owing in some degree to these
Two causes. ,. ~ tasais
The ceilings Of the stables should be-
high and in il should be tubes leading 10
the roof; thus affordng means for the es-
cape of the impure air. The strength Of
the odor which meets ones olfactories on
entering close table, should be sufficient
TO show the necessity Of this. 1t is gen
orally the case, that hay, or possibly
grain. is stored in the loft above the sta
ble. If this is the case, there should be
a tight floor, as we'll TO keep the vapors
aad gases from the hay, as to prevent the
seeds from falling through on the horses.
For the latter reason the hay racks sbo'd
be perpendicular and not placed so high
as TO be uncomfortable for the horse. Un-
less managers are kept cleaner than they
usually are, bay racks are 10 be preferred
10 them. ' 1870 VII 90 CORD
A not uncommon fault in stables Is
that of having narrow stalls. The horse
often stains himself in these, and in mo-
respect are they ms convenient and coms
Portable as are wider ones. Where there
are but few horses TO be kept, and the
ecopomizing of room is not a special OBJ
ject, large, roomy stalls are much to be
preferred. Boxes at least twelve feet
square, in which the horse can lie kept
without being tied, is much liked by many
who have tried them. Where halters are
used they should have light weight by
which they may be kept stretched, thus
preventing the horse from getting his
foot over it.
Sloping floors should be avoided, GER
tainy il the slope is at all considerable.
The horse does not naturally choose a
position in which his fore feet shall be-
several inches higher than bis hand ones.
The urine may be carried off by having
double floor, in the upper Of which are
narrow grooves, growing deeper as they
go back. Keeping The floor well cleaned,
with frequented changes of litter cannot
be too strongly recommend. Not only
is the, appearance Of the stable much im-
proved, but The comfort Of the horse is
increased and less labor is required to keep
him clean. 81. f.
We dot not propose giving all the fea-
lures TO be derived in stable, but light,
warmth, ventilation, ioomy stalls, and
cleanliness in all its parts, are points
that should never be neglected.
LIBERfA.-A recent emigrant to Libe-
ria gives a glowing description Of the
country, he says: "The climate is de-
lghtfol, the mercury ranging from 66 70
so, the sun rises and sets sboo; six