Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/399

 MODEL DESIGNS FOR FARMERIES. 375 739 7; superficial feet, or above one eighth part of the whole. The circular building best suited for this accommodation would have the radius of the inner wall fifty-four feet six inches, as in fig. 766; and, therefore, if (other circumstances beuig the same) stables or cattle-houses in farmeries could be built in this form as easily as in the parallelogram sliape, there would be an obvious saving of space to the above extent ; and this, m a stable of twelve horses, or a cattle-shed of twelve cows, would amount to sixty-six feet ; or, in other words, more room would be gained than would be sufficient for an additional stall. Wherever curvilinear stables, or cattle-houses, therefore, can be introduced into a farm- yard, the Architect may feel satisfied that the proper radius for the smaller circle, when the animals are of medium size, is fifty-four feet six inches. 747. Sheep and Swine, from the necessity of the former being kept in 767 ^-r-i— 1-.^ dZl ^ almost continual exercise, and being surrounded by, or at least having above them, a great abundance of fresli air, and from the restlessness of the latter, are never kept tied up in stalls ; and therefore the curvilinear principle, as applied to them, refers only to the lineal direction of their mangers or troughs. Allowing a full- grown sheep or swine, when feeding at a rack, three inches on each side of liis head, this will give fifteen feet ^^^ nine inches as the best radius for the convex side of sheep racks, which are intended to be eaten from on one side t)nly ; and for the feeding-troughs of full-grown swine kept in a yard. This will be seen on inspeetingfig.769, in which the inner circle represents a trough or manger, out of which fifty-eight sheep or swine might eat on the outside, though not half that number within. As the difference is considerable between the width of a horned sheep and one without horns, this radius will require to be varied according to the proportion of horned to polled sheep in the flock. 748. These Principles for the cur- vilinear arrangement of stalls, racks, and troughs, we do not lay down as of very great importance, but rather with a view to induce the young Architect to enquire into the reasons of things ; and to endeavour, in every thing, to take principles into consideration rather than precedents. We shall now proceed to give details of, accompanied by reasons for, the more ordinary modes of con- structing stables, cattle-sheds, and other buildings for animals which belong to a farmery. 749. The Buildings usually/ emplnj/ed for lodging, feediny, or fattening Live Stock, com- prise the stable, cow-house, calf-house, cattle-stalls, hammels and sheds, sheep-house, piggery, poultry-house, rabbit-house, pigeon-house, and house for sick horses or cattle. These should either be connected together, and open into one yard, or they may be separated by the barn, and open into the same or different yards. On no account should they be intermixed with the implement and machine houses, or with the cart-sheds. 750. Stables. The horse is an animal in a liighly artificial state, and requires to be treated with a degree of care beyond that bestowed on any other domesticated quadruped. The stable in which he is lodged should have its doors and windows to the south-east, as the mildest aspect, and, in general, have all its openings on one side, and in the roof, to prevent cross draughts of air. It ought to be on a dry soil, or, if on a wet one, it should be raised above it by a hollow floor ; or by materials of a kind which will contain interstices of air between the natural surface and the artificial floor. All stables should be large, cool, and capable of being well ventilated. The proper temperature for a horse is 50° in winter and from 60° to 65° in summer. The best mode of ventilating a stable in winter is by trunks or tubes of boards, about a foot square, forming openings under the eaves, or carried up tlirough the ceiling, where there is one, so as to I'ass through the roof; their tops being covered in such a manner as to exclude the rain, without impeding the ascent of the heater" air. The inside openings of all these tubes