Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1913-06-05

The dairy cow, whose chief function
Is milk production, carries less flesh
than the fattening steer, and for this
reason should be stabbed in winter
time in comfortable stable, where
she need use as small an amount of
her food as possible to keep her body
warm. It is quite possible to keep cows
without a stable in summer time, but
In this climate dairy COWS must be
protected from cold, and especially
from cold rains, If they are expected
to produce milk. The dairy stable
must be something more than the side
of a hay or straw stack, an old log
barn, or an open shed through which
the wind blows freely. These may
serve as fair wind breaks, but can
stables. Our cows must be made rea
sonably comfortable SO as to keep
them in good health and have them
produce milk cheaply.
Cleanliness is coming to be recog
nized more and more as being all
important in connection with the pro-
duction Of milk to be used as human
food, and the time is probably not far
off when unsanitary conditions sur
rounding the production of milk for
city and town use will be pretty gen
orally done away with. The sooner
we as farmers can recognize the i'm
portance Of cleanliness in the dairy,
the better we will fare In order to
produce clean milk, 1t Is absolutely es
sential that our stables be so CON.
structed as to keep the cows clean
easily.
Such barn, providing comfort and
cleanliness for cows, need not neces-
sarily be expensive. In fact, it is al
together possible to produce as clean
milk in well-constructed, cheap sta.
BILE as in some expensive stables.
Where well-constructed barns used for
other purposes are already in use, it Is
very often the cheapest and best thing
to do to remodel them, providing the
essential features for dairy stable.
These essential features, all making
for comfort and cleanliness, are as fol
lows: Plenty of window space, good
ventilation, capable of being easily
cleaned and having convenient ar
rangement. -.zzz-
Window Space.
Light is necessary for all growing
things, both plants and animals. Light
also destroys germ life, and 1t is very
important for this reason that the
dairy stable should be well lighted
The dark barn is almost always the
dirty barn. There should be at least
four square feet of window space for
each COW, and the windows should be
distributed SO that all parts of the
barn will be well lighted. They
should reach within four or four and
one-half feet OF the floor and to with
In few feet of the ceiling.
Good Ventilation.
The one thousand pound COW re-.
quires daily about one hundred pounds
of feed and water. In addition to this
she needs about twice that weight OF
pure ill. Al6 d111OuAL NC sup
| piled for each COW If she Is to do her
best and remain in good condition.
| Many stables are poorly ventilated and
| these are no doubt worse places in
which to keep cows than the stables
| which are rather open and which re.
ceiYe more than the necessary amount
of pure air. This air should be pro.
vided without causing draft of cold
air on the COWS. The best means fol
getting this change Of air is the King
system Of ventilation. This system
may be installed in any barn at little
cost. The main feature consists Of a
large outlet fue opening near the floor
in the stable and extending above the
roof for taking air out of the stable
In addition q number Of smaller open.
ings are arranged on two sides Of the
stable for air to enter. The outlet
flue works like chimney and should
be at least 2 by feet in size and have
alright walls. The impure air in the
stable will be found near the floor. SC
this outlet f1ue should extend down
near the floor. The inlet fues should
open on the outside of the barn wal
near the ground and extend upward in
the wall, opening near the ceiling OF