Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/398

 ^71' COTTAGE, FARxAI, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. 764 2o7' circles, or segments of circles parallel to each other ; and that the rack or manger being required for the small end of the wedge, should always be placed against the smallest circle or segment ; and, secondly, that in all open yards where quadrupeds are allowed to run loose, and eat from racks or mangers, the length of the rack or manger required to allow the whole to cat at once may be obtained with certainty when the kind of animal is given ; since, when the rack or manger is to be in a straight line, the breadth of the broad end of the wedge must be allowed for each animal, and when it is to be curved, the radius of tiie curve must be determined by the breadth of the smaller end of the wedge. From this theory it may also be deduced, that there must be one magnitude, as well as one form, more economical than any other, for lodging each of these animals ; and that this magnitude must be that circumference of a circle which the narrow ends of the wedges completely fill up, and no more. Fig. 764 shows the number of horses, or horned cattle, that will stand together in the cir- cumference of a circle, with their heads towards the centre ; and fig. 765 shows the parallelo- gram that would be required to contain the same number of the same-sized ani- mals,supposing them to be placed in a straight line. Fig. 767 shows the num- ber of average-sized sheep or swine that would stand in a circle; and fig. 768 765 the parallelogram that would be re- quired to contain ^~| 237 them in a straight line. The loss of space, in both in- stances, is about one fourth. It is true that, in practice, ani- mals can never be placed so near to- gether for any length of time ; but the comparison which we have made suf- ficiently establishes the principle, that, in calculating the room required for lodging these animals, or feeding them from racks or mangers in open courts or yards, they must be con- sidered as wedges. In applying this principle to practice, the habits of each animal, and the kind of food to be given to it, will form subordinate prmciples, which must also he taken into consideration by the Architect. We shall endeavour to illustrate tliis in the case of the animals above mentioned. 746. The Horse and Or are capable of lying down and rising up, when they have a vacant space of a foot round them on every side. This will give a wedge-shaped stall, eleven feet long, five feet broad at one end, and four feet broad at the other ; in which they will have ample acconmiodation, and the saving of room on each animal, in a stall of this description, as compared with a paraUelogram stall, will be five and a half 766