Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/411

 MODEL DESIGNS FOU FARMERIES. 087 open air. Water is supplied in the manner above mentioned at Uhodes's dairy, at Islington (see Encyc. 0/ ^</nc., 2d edit. § 6897.), where one division for water is formed in the manger between every two cows ; and these divisions are fmnished with covers, which are put on when the cattle arc eating dry food, to prevent them dro]ipiiig any of it into the water, and thus dirtying it. As abundance of light in every farm building is highly favourable to cleanliness by exposing the want of it, large glass windows might be formed in every description of house for cattle ; but these should always be provided with outside shutters ; or, what is preferable, lufibr-boarded outside blinds, as recommended for stables, fig. 789, § 754, to keep off the intensity of the light, and also the heat of the sun. These shutters or blinds should be opened whenever the master or mistress may enter the building, or when it is to be cleaned out ; but at other times they should generally be closed, as it must not be forgotten that light stimulates the animals, and prevents their repose, while it favours the introduction of flies and other insects, which are always very troublesome to cattle. In the royal cow-houses at Bagatelle and at Villeneuve d'Etang, near Paris, the windows reach from the floor to the ceiling, and open like those of a drawing-room. They have outside shutter blinds, and hinged panes of glass at top and bottom, for giving air in the winter season. The walls and ceilings are plastered, and finished as carefidly as those of a common dwelling-house in London ; and a person being constantly in attendance to remove any dung that di-ops, the place is as clean and sweet as can be desired. We speak of them as they appeared to us when we isited them in 1828. In Flanders the cow-houses are equally clean and sweet ; and Radcliffe, in his Hushundry of Flanders, informs us that, in the winter season, the farmers generally breakfast in them : he adds that he did so himself, and found no inconvenience from either bad smells or want of cleanliness. In general, indeed, cow-houses and cattle-houses, as well as the animals themselves, are kept far cleaner and wholesomer on the Continent than in Britain. In the Harleian dairy establishment, which existed some years ago at Glasgow, some ingenious contrivances for cleanliness were introduced, which may deserve imitation. In front of each cow, between the manger and the foddering passage, a wire grating was suspended by cords and pidleys like a window-sash, which was lifted up when food was given, or the mangers cleaned out. The racks for hay were also suspended by cords, weights, and pulleys ; so that they could be pushed up out of the reach of the cows, when moist food was put into the mangers. In the gutters there were round apertures, of about six inches in diameter, with cast-iron covers fitted to them at short distances, and through these the dung was swept into large drains below, whence it was carried away by its fluidity to a dung-pit. The tails of the cows were tied up to the ceiling at milking time, as in Holland, and they were regularly combed and brushed twice every day. A stream of water could be introduced into the mangers and gutters at pleasure, for the pm-pose of cleaning them, or for supplying water to the cattle to drink. No litter was used, but the floors of the stalls were formed of boards, and the gutters behind were furnished with grated bottoms, and openings with covers, at inter-als, as before mentioned. The temperature of these cow-houses was regulated by a thermometer. We cannot approve of this plan of not littering the cows, which is still adopted in some of the large dairies near London ; because it must be more comfortable to the cattle to lie down on straw than on bare boards or pavement, however smooth or clean either may be. Much less can we approve of the plan of not turning cows out of doors at least once or twice a day for exercise : this is always done on the Continent, even in the winter season, unless during a heavy fall of snow, or during continued heavy rain. Cows are universally cleaned like horses in Holland and the Netherlands, ard in all the first dairies both in France and Germany ; and the Continental custom of tying up their tails at milking time, already mentioned as practised by Harley, is beginning to meet with imitators in this country. Curry- combing and brushing have long been in use in gentlemen's dairies. W'e mention these things with a view of supplying the young Architect with ideas for the introduction of these and still further improvements in the design and construction of this kind of buildings ; since no Architect can improve the arrangements of a building, of which he does not thoroughly understand the use ; and the mere improvement of its Architecture, or external effect, without adding to its utility, is calculated to excite a feeling of contempt, rather than of approbation or respect. 760. Calf-houses ought to be placed near the cow-houses, to lessen the labour of carrying the milk to them ; but they ought never to be so near as to permit the cow to see or even hear the calf; because either would disquiet her, and prevent lier from feeding. The best mode is to have a separate house for the calves, and to tie them up to stakes like cows. The width of the space allotted for the calves need not be more than eight feet, and it shoidd be arranged in every resjiect like a cow-house in min?ature. Where calves are to be fed for the butcher, they arc somttinics enclosed singly in