148

FARM-HOUSES AND OFHCES

mer is more liquid, in some instances a tight drain is madealong and under the centre of the passage, behind the heelsof the cattle, having branches at short distances to the gut-ter, where gratings are placed to let off' the urine, and con-vey it to the reservoir at the dunghill. The remainder, orwhat does not pass through at the gratings, is usually carriedoff in wheel-barrows, unless where the site of the dunghill isunder, or considerably lower than the floor of the feedingand cow houses, in which case the whole will go off, in con-sequence of the declivity of the drains.

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6. Cow-houses or Byres.

Milch-cows require warmth ; and their byres usually havea passage in the middle across the width, to which their heelsstand, while their heads are fixed to stakes about twenty in-ches from the walls.

Where a great number of cows are kept, however, it isfound much more commodious, to arrange them as descri-bed in the fourth class of feeding-houses, that is, with theirheads and heels opposite to each other, having passagesbetween their heads for feeding, and access to the stalls frombehind. Dividing cow-houses into stalls is found to beof great advantage ; and the paving, draining, lighting, andventilating of these houses will not be neglected by the skil-ful farmer. The best constructed byres or cow-houses inScotland are supposed to be those of Mr Harley in Glasgow ,where a hundred cows, arranged as above, are kept underone roof, together with boilers for preparing their food. Thewhole floor is laid with dressed stone pavement, and kept asclean as that of a dwelling-house.

7. Calf-houses or Penns.

These buildings are usually placed at some distance fromthe cow-houses, in order to prevent the calves from beingheard by the cows.

The principal object to be attended to in calf-houses is, tokeep them warm and dry. For this purpose, the floor is