Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1876-09-28
AGRICULTURAL.
STABLE FLOORS.


stalls for horses. All agree that moth
ing is 50 we'll suited to promote the
comfort of the animal and to preserve
the feet and in healthy condition as
a level bed of earth. But for obvious
reasons this is regarded as impractical
BILE in our climate. In England, it
has heretofore been the custom to
pave the floors of the stalls usually
with cobble stones, giving them a
slight inclination either to the rear or
the center, where gutter or CRATE
received the urine. Recently, good
authorities have approved of the
American plan of chestnut or oak
plank instead Of stone, and trial IN
London is said to have proved that
horses stand with more ease and
ssftety on wood. The great objection
to our common stable floors is the
pitch of from one to four inches,
which is given for the purpose Of
draining off the urine. This is often
much larger than nescessary, but any
inclination to the rear is injurious for
the reason that the toes of the animal
are thereby turned up, and the black
sinews, kept in a sort of unnatural
tension. Most men would object to
being compelled to stand on their
heels, and horses in pastures are seen
10 stand with their forefeet in holes
which they have stamped out of the
soil. This enables them to remove
the strain from the back sinews and
give them rest. One of the best de-
vices for overcoming this difficulty in
stable floors has heretofore been a
sort Of wooden grating or movable
floor placed upon the. ordinary plank
ing, the rear end Of the pieces com,
posing it being two or three inches
thicker than the other end, and the
pieces being fastened half an inch
apart, so as to allow the urine to flow
down on to the lower floor and then
to the gutter in the rear, as usual.
This arrangement something expen-
sive and troublesome, and better one
is desirable The following plan has
been devised and adopted for my own
stable, and seems to answer every re-
quirement: A floor Of plank, with an
inclination to the rear of two inches is
laid in the ordinary manner, except
that the planks extend only to within
two feet of the front of the manger,
The space between the ends of the
planking and manger are covered
with pieces which are of the same
thickness with the planks where they
Join them, but are sawed so as to be
an inch and a half thinner at the
manager. Thus pitch forward Of an
inch and half in two feet is obtained
and the horse can stand as suits him
best either as when at rest in the field,
or on the line of junction with his fore
feet level, or back of it with his toes
turned up. The urine flows to the
rear as usual. and the extra expense
is merely inal.--.Scientifc Farmer.
--~S>--
WATERING HORSES. - An En-
glish " Horse Lover writes to con.
temporary: l wish to add my testimo-
ny as regards the necessity Of watering
horses sufficiently. For twenty years
we have kept in our stables an average
of ten horses. We have never known
a days illness amoung them. Sever
al are over thirty, and capable of any
amount of work. We attribute this
entirely to my daily visit to the stable,
when I always find either trough or
pail full of water within reach Of each
horse. BY this means l know that at
least once day that they are able
fully to quench their thirst. never
had dealings with coachman who
did not think it risk to let his horses
have more than a modicum of water.
| would just add that we have not
such thing as bearing rein in our
harness room, and I always drive with
out wlnkers
A farmer in Maine says: For remov-
ing the clusters Of eggs Of the tent
caterpillar from trees, / have found
nothing so convenient as a small
caterpillar from trees, I have found
nothing so convenient as a small
piece Of steel in the shape Of a letter
Y, with the edges filed sharp and the