The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-07-04

Care Of Horses I'm the summer.
Under ordinary circumstances farm
horses suffe- greatly from neglect dur
ing the warm weather. After days
hard work in the field horse needs
good nights rest, as well as sufficient
feed, and this can not be procured with
out good management. The horse Is
the most useful Of our brute assistants;
without his help the worlds work would
stop, and We would be put to sore shifts
to procure food. BY reason Of neglect
and bad management his life Of useful
ness is considerably shortened, and in
place Of 80 years Of possible usefulness,
It is rare to find sound, active horse Of
more than half that age. Food is pro-
vided sufficiently, and in the majority of
cases generously; but SO far rs regards
sanitary care there is sad lack. Sta
bles are too often foul, ill-ventilated, and
badly arranged; the horse itself Is rare
" cleaned, and the skin is left to natur-
al accidents of summer showers for an
occasional washing. The bedding and
litter is nearly always unclean, and the
skin of the anima. Is usually so saturat-
ed with excrements that the odor is in
siderable TO any sensitive person. The
mere handling Of q horse in its harness
Is sufficient to odorize the person and
the clothes TO q most disagreeable ex-
tent, aud the farmers house is frequent
" fouled with the pungent scents Of the
stable thus introduced. Cleanliness Is
indis pensable to health. and health isin-
dispensable for comfort and long and
useful life. In pecuniary point OF view
this matter looks serious when we con-
slider that the value Of our horses is not
far from $500, GOO. 600, and Of this large
portion is yearly sacrificed for want
Of proper care. This want Of care il
most conspicuous in regard to the con-
strsction and management Of stables
Generally they are close and inconve-
nieit. But il will be easier to point out
VIII. hey should be than to say what
they are, for the requisites OF good
stable are but few. II should be dry
and well drained. The floor should
slope little to the rear and il should be
covered with narrow strips having half
An inch space between them. through
which the liquids could escape. The
ceiling should be high. ninc feet at the
least, and should be of matched boards
to exclude dust from above. The light
should come from near the top, at least
above the level of the horses head, and
should be abundant; II the window is
on . sunny side, 1t should be shaded by
blind or shutter. There should be an
ample means Of ventilation by opening
M the bottom and the top, covered with
wire gauze to exclude flies. The doors
should be double, so that the upper half
may re left open at night, or they may
be made Of strips with half-inch spaces
between them, protected with gauze or
netting. The interior should be kept
whitewashed and perfectly clean and
free from vermin. All these requisites
need only attention, and cost no more
than the ordinary ill-adapted arrange
ments. The bedding should be fine;
cut straw will be found economical,
even counting the cost Of the labor to
prepare il. Saw-dust is the best Of all
bedding, and pine saw-dust is better
than hard wood on account Of its resin
Gus odor and its repellent effect against
vermin.
Physical cleanliness, however, Is the
great matter to be observed. There Is
no reason WHY horse-stable should be
50 powerfully odoriferous. Nothing Is
easier than TO keep il clean and sweet.
A gutter should be provided to carry of
the drainage, and tank or pit filed
with absorbents should be made to re-
ceivs il. Once day q few pailfuls OF
water should be dashed on TO the floor
to wash IL off. Then shovelful Of
plaster should be scattered about before
fresh litter Is spread. This will add at
least 800 to the value Of the manure
from pair Of horses in q year. for the
urine Is worth more than the solid ex-
crement, and would thus all be saved.
even that portion which escapes into
the air or Is carried into the house and
elsewhere BY those who attend the sta
bles. The result Of this care will be TO
keep the stable free from those odors
which attract flies in vast numbers and
which have q very injuriously Initiative
effect upon the eyes and lungs Of the
occupants. The flies which infest sta
bles are not the common house-fiies, as
Is generally supposed, but savage Bit
ing Nv, called from its annoying attacks
Calcifrans, or "thc causer Of kicking"
This Is its specific name, Its
ororor;o mama hoinO Sfo,uoyua