The Question Box. 143 



Mr. Van Wagenen. — I do not know, unless it conies from in- 

 digestion, caused by a cow's eating too much of those foods to 

 disarrange her digestion and bowels. It is another question for 

 a veterinarian. 



Question. — Is there such a thing as " black teeth " in pigs? 



Dr. Smead. — Yes. If you will open a pig's mouth you will 

 find black teeth. As a rule, they are black when the pigs are 

 farrowed; but there is no such pig disease as black teeth. Some- 

 times the teeth become blackened by internal parasites. When 

 the pig is well nourished, black teeth do not appear. 



ABOUT IIOESES. 



Question. — 'Is wheat straw better than oat straw to feed a 

 horse when it is being fed oats? 



Dr. Smead. — I may run up against a snag when I answer that 

 question, because I am going to say that wheat straw is the poor- 

 est food ever given to an animal. Oat straw's nutritive ratio is 

 I to 33; wheat straw 1 to 64. But there are many farmers who 

 say they get best results from the wheat straw. As a rule, this 

 is caused by the clover or other grasses which are cut when the 

 wheat is reaped, and which is left in the straw. 



Question. — Ought horses to be watered in the morning before 

 feeding, or after? 



Dr. Smead. — The best time to water a horse is when he wants 

 to drink. Some horses will drink in the morning before they will 

 eat; some will not. It is another case of individuality. One 

 horse will drink more often, another less. The only way is to 

 offer water to him. If he wants to drink he will do it, and if 

 the horse has been working, offer him a little water occasionally, 

 but don't take him to a trough and allow him to drink all he will 

 take, as his stomach will not hold more than three gallons at a 

 time. 



Question. — Does it pay to grind feed for horses? 



Dr. Ourryer. — It would depend on the age of the horse. If 

 he is old and his teeth are poor, have the grain ground. A good 

 way is to put a few lumps of rock salt in the grain box and 

 spread the grain over them, so that the horse, will have to nose 

 around after it. He will take a little every time he eats. Feed 

 him from a box near the floor, not too high up. rTo; I do not 

 think that it will pay, as a rule, to grind grain for the horse. 



