Fodder Racks.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 213, 30 July 1887, Page 8

Fodder Racks.

I.v thib mild climate cattle and shee-p* arenot as a uilo housed during the -&iutei\ but the wise fanner who has provided good store of winter fodder feedo his stock with it in the open field. A good deal oi uaste is involved by so doing unless the food is placed in suitable feeding racks, to prevent the animals fiom running over it, thus scattering it ever the fiold. and tinmping it into the dht. Figure \ represents a good kind of tee Jing box. It should be >si.\ feet square, and w ill accommodate four cattle at onetime. The pevats in the coiners are of four-by-four-incti scantling, and ate six-and-one-haU &-et lu«jh. On top ot the&e is a plute tv. c. by-foui inclies, and another

such strip ir put in a* a ghth 18 inches from tlie bottom, and tins forms the bottom of the opening through v.hich the cattle eat. The horizontal -width of this opening ia 15 inches, and it slants, as shown, to the top of the coiner posts. The boarding on the side-! is of one inch stuff, put on perpendicularly, and a .strip one inch-by-tour should be nailed along each slanting edge. Each box should have a roof, as shown, and this can be made of half-inch stuil tongued and giooved. A small eve trough should be put under each eve to cany the water to the cirneis and prevent it from dripping upon the stock JTigave 2 shows the same thing, with an addition which greatly improves it. In conshucting this teeding rack the loof is made to project on each

side five feet beyond the pido of the box part, thus providing bbeltei from rain to the cattle -while feeding. Therein nothing expensive about the.-c racks, and if painted they will last for years. Tho corners should be made 'to re->t on blocks or etones to prevent the timber from resting on tho wet ground. Farmers would be surprised to find wh-.t a difference it makes in the health and condition of their stock to provide for then comfort in this way, and in many other little mattcis too often neglected.