should be carefully considered. All surface water, from 

 ponds, brooks, rivers and shallow wells should be avoided. 

 Spring water, taken directly from the spring, filtered rain 

 water or other kinds of filtered water, or water from deep wells 

 are best, and less liable to contain disease-producing germs. 

 The horse and the mule should always be given warter be- 

 fore feeding grain — never after, unless it be given two hours 

 after feeding. 



A constant corn diet is to be avoided, especially as a food 

 for colts. It is extremely doubtful if corn for colts is ever 

 advisable. Furthermore, it is injudicious to feed horses or 

 mules upon corn as the onh^ grain food at any other time 

 except in the cold period of winter. In fact, there is no time 

 in this climate when corn alone is really needed or demanded 

 by the system. Far better results will be obtained by using 

 oats as the staple or chief grain food ; and, at times, equal 

 parts of ground corn and cow j)eas, or equal parts of ground 

 corn, cow peas and oats, or equal parts of ground corn and 

 wheat bran, may be substituted for oats alone. Corn should 

 never be fed to horses with weak eyes or with diseased eyes. 

 Corn and fodder (leaves) form the staple articles of food, for 

 horses and mules, in some parts of this State with a climate 

 that will produce green rye lor soiling during the entire 

 winter and green sorghum and green millet for summer. 

 Corn is too stimulating and contains too much heat-produc- 

 ing material ; the corn fodder is a dry, rough food, which in 

 combination with corn is liable to lead to attacks of consti- 

 pation, producing passive congestion of the blood vessels of 

 the brain and the eyes. To be sure this does not always 

 occur, but many times an attack of periodic opthalmia may 

 thus be called forth. Variety in rations should always be 

 considered, and extended according to local food supply; 

 watch the effects of the quality and the quantity of the va- 

 rious foods, and many times you will be able to regulate the 

 diet of the animal according to your experience in feeding 

 it. No fixed or absolute laws can be made to fit all cases ; 

 horses have their individual peculiarities as well as persons. 



