Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-05-05

ADVANTAGES OF BOX STALLS FOR COWS.
Even with scrupulous daily cleaning
out of the manure aud bedding with
straw, majority of the COWS kept in
stalls come out in tue spring with fanks,
legs aud briskets covered with manure
balls, looking filthy 10 the extreme,
writes L. B. Pierce, of Ohio. What
manure does not adhere to the COWS is
in too many cases thrown out under the
caves, to leach and waste. Where only
one or two cows are kept, the remedyis
a simple box-stall, doing away with all
filth aud waste, and the saving in bed
ding is considerable.
The writer keeps two COWS In a stable,
ten by twelve feet, the mauger running
across the narrow way, takes off two
feet, making the floor area ten feet
square. A single upright standard of
two by four inch scautling, retaining the
front Of the mauger at the middle and
giving the cows an equal chance at the
fodder, Is the only restraint OF any kind
upon the perfectly free movements of the
cows. This freedom of action is tho
secret of their cleanliness, there being,
after four months stabling, not half
pound of manure adhering to both COWS.
rhe manure is mostly dropped behind
the COWS as they stand at the manger,
forming slight ridge about midway of
the stable. One COW lies along side OF
the manger, aud the other at the rear
of the stable, parallel with the manger.
Both cows lie upon their right sides,
bringing their heads in opposite
directions. The manure is leveled
twice daily, aud in the morning the
remnants of cut cornstalks aud
other refuse found in the man-
ger are scattered over 1t, and at night
they have bed of straw. The manure
is not taken out until spring, and packs
hard and solid without particle OF
waste. Last year used the COW stable
as receptacle for the horse manure dur
ing the busy season of berry picking,
when we had rot time to draw it di-
rectly OH the land, and the cows stood
on this until about Thanksgiving when
we got it out and put in mass of leaves
to start anew. Two weeks later we put
in the cows for the winter, fastening the
door so it could not be easily or care
lessly opened. The cows were kept there
nearly four months and came out in the
spring fat, happy, jolly aud Clean. The
manure was like plug tobacco, brown
and solid, and worth at least double as
much, pound for pound, as manure
thrown out on heap in the usual man
ner.
Where the COWS are strange or vicious,
two could not be kept together, and iu
large dairies it might not be practicable
for want OF room, although two might
be kept in a stall SKIP feet, which
would be but little more space than would
be allotted them if kept tied in separate
stalls. In villages and suburban homes,
however, this system is worthy of trial,
as there is no pile of manure outside aud
no offensive smell, as the hard packing
of the manure prevents fermentation.
An area of 12x7 feet would be enough
for one COW, it being essential that the
stall be wide enough for the COW to lie
crossways or parallel with the manger,
this being the secret of her keeping clean.
With two cows kept on floor 10x10
feet or less, with plenty of bedding, the
manure will become two to three feet
thi,k in four months, aud it is nee ,ssary,
after two months, to put an extra board
on the front of the manger, aud false
bottom, the bottom being simply board
cut to fit aud nailed to the edges of
some 2xS feet scantling to raise it from
the real bottom. The false bottom aud
front can be laid away for another year
when not in use.-American Agri-
culturist.