302 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



September 18, 1909. 



COMPARISON OF CORN AND OATS 



AS A FOOD FOR HORSES. 



An account of experiments which have been 

 condiK^ted for the purpose of making a comparison of 

 corn and oats as food for horses engaged in farm woriv 

 is given in Bulletin No. 25 of the Ohio Experiment 

 Station. The horses used in the trials were similar to 

 those engaged in ordinary farm work in that State. 

 The following are the conclusions given in the bulletin 

 to which reference is made : — 



While the work reported in tliis bulletin has not been 

 conducted for a sufficient length of time nor with enough 

 animals to justify any very comprehensive statements, yet it 

 seems that some facts have been pretty well established. 

 The work is being continued and it is hoped that the cumula- 

 tive etl'ect.s, if any result, of the long continued use of grain 

 rations made up exclusively of corn and of oats may be deter- 

 mined. The following statements, based ujion the work done 

 thus far, seem to be warranted by the data presented hereto- 

 fore. It must be understood that the horses were mature 

 geldings, and that mixed clover and timothy hay were fed. 



The corn-fed horses endured hard work during hot 

 weather, as well as did the oats-fed horses. 



The use of corn to the exclusion of other grain for 

 a period of foity-eight weeks was not detrimental to the 

 health of work horses. 



The use nf corn for work horses did not induce laziness 

 and lack of endurance. Neither did the use of oats induce 

 increased spirit and endurance. 



When mixed (clover and timothy) hay was fed to 

 mature geldings at general farm work, ear-corn was practi- 

 cally as etticient, pound for pound, as oats. 



On the ba.sis of the results of this experiment and 

 .statistical records of farm values of grain, corn ha.s, since 

 l.SGG, been cheaper than oats as a grain feed for work 

 horses. 



The drop in weight of the corn-fed horses, coincident 

 with the beginning of the use of .shelled corn, indicates that 

 ear-corn is to be preferred above shelled corn for work 

 liorses. 



Farm animals sliindd be fed according to their needs. 

 Their needs dejjcnd, of course, upon the protluct tiiat they 

 yield. Work horses are kept for apijljing eneigy and should 

 be supplied with food that will furnish the reipiired energy 

 at the least possible cost, all thing.s considered. 



There is a wide ditferenco in the efficiency of hor.ses in 

 utilizing food. This is well illustrated by the record of 

 a horse used in this experiment. There is an individuality in 

 work horses as well as in other farm animals. Horses thai 

 are notably hard to keep in good condition .should be 

 replaced by ones that may be maintained at less cost. 



The data presented do not prove that, for use with 

 pure timothy hay, ear-corn is as efficient, pound for pound, 

 as oats. Neither is any evidence at hand to indicate that 

 a grain ration made up exclusively of corn is suitable for 

 brood mares with foal or in milk, or for young, growing 

 horses. . " 



When the weights of the horses for the year previous to 

 the experiment are compared with the weights secured 

 during the experiment, it is seen that the exclusive use of 

 either corn or oats has not had any bad effect upon the 

 horses. There is no positive proof, however, that a mi.xed 

 ration would not'be more efficient than one made up 

 exclusively of corn or of oats. This experiment does show,. 

 nevertheless, that corn is a valuable feed for work horses and 

 should be given a large place in their rations, whenever 

 market conditions warrant its use. 



It is obvious that feeds for work hor.ses should be 

 palatable, efficient and economical. As far as palatability is 

 concerned, corn seems, in the experience of this station, to 

 have a slight advantage over oats, although this will depend 

 to a considerable extent upon the individual appetite. The 

 results obtained thus far in the experiment reported in the 

 bulletin indicate that corn is an efficient food for work 

 horses. The bulk of an amount of ear-corn equal in feeding, 

 value to the usual amount of oats is small — so small that 

 a casual observation might lead one to believe that too little 

 corn was being used. As regards economy, ear-corn is 

 usually cheaper per pound than oats, while this experiment 

 indicates that ear-corn and oats are worth approximately the 

 same per pound for feeding under the conditions stated 

 previously. 



Furtlier work along this line, with additional horses, is 

 now under way, and will be reported later. 



ANTIGUA AGRICULTURAL AND 



COMMERCIAL SOCIETY. 



A general meeting of this Society was held on 

 August t). The chief subjects for discussion wore the 

 improvement of stock in the island, and the adoption 

 of a system for the interchange of material for planting, 

 especially canu-cuttings. 



The report of the Stock Committee on the question of 

 the introduction into Antigua of pedigree animals was read 

 and unanimously adopted. Its chief reconnnendations were : 

 that, as regards large stock, the pedigree animals most 

 urgently required in Antigua were for the improvement of 

 hor.ses, donkeys, and cattle, and in that order : that enquiries 

 .should be made, in connexion with the last, as to the capa- 

 bilities, suitability, etc., of Gujerat cattle and the water 

 buffalo : that, as regards the smaller stock (goats, sheep, and 

 pigs), means of improvement were required ; that the grantin"- 

 of bonuses to importers would encourage the purchase o£ 

 pedigree stock, and that these should be a high percentage 

 of the value of the animal, in view of the consequent en- 

 couragement to get the best animals : and, finally, that the 

 receiver of such a bonus shall not charge more than a certain 

 definite amount in respect of .services by the imported animal, 

 and that he should not be compelled to grant more than 

 a reasonable luimber of services for that ])rice. 



In respect to the subject of the distribution of planting 

 material, the following motion was brought before the Society 

 and, after favourable discussion, carried unanimously: — 



' That, in the o])inion of the Society, it is verj- desirable 

 that the practice of exchanging cane-cuttings for planting be 

 encouraged among estate owners and managers. 



' That, in order to facilitate this, a notice board be kept 

 in the Society's room, on which members should have the 

 privilege of posting notices with regard to the exchange, sale 

 or purchase of cane-cuttings, seeds, etc' 



