ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 75 



difference there was was slightly in favor of the clover. There was no observ- 

 able difference in the effect of clover and timothy upon the spirits of the horses 

 or their ability to endure hot weather. Those receiving clover had glossy hair 

 and their bowels were looser, but not too loose to endure hard work. 



There was a slight saving of grain when clover hay was chaffed and the 

 ground grain mixed with it, but not sufficient to justify the expense. It is 

 thought that the practice may be beneficial when a very heavy grain ration 

 is being fed. The horse subject to colic had fewer attacks when the grain was 

 mixed with chaffed hay than when it was fed separately. 



The horses fed alfalfa and timothy ate less grain and hay and gained slightly 

 more in weight than those fed clover and timothy, while doing the same amount 

 of work. From 20 to 22 per cent less grain was required to maintain the weight 

 of horses fed alfalfa than those fed timothy. Horses fed corn and alfalfa ate 22 

 per cent less grain and lost 6 lbs. more in weight per head in 8 weeks than 

 those fed a mixed ration of corn, oats, wheat bran, oil meal, timothy and 

 alfalfa, and the cost was 6 cts. less per horse per day. Horses fed ground corn 

 and oats with wheat bran, oil meal, timothy, and alfalfa consumed 9 per cent 

 less grain and gained 3 lbs. more in weight per head in 6 weeks than those fed 

 whole corn and oats on a similar ration. It was thought that when the teeth of 

 horses are good they will do well on whole grain, but that when horses are 

 worked near the limit and it is desirable to conserve all possible energy for 

 labor there may be economy in grinding. 



Among other conclusions are the following : " The mingling of grain with 

 chaffed timothy hay did not prove satisfactory. . . . Though too short to be 

 conclusive these tests indicate that mature horses at hard work can be main- 

 tained quite satisfactorily for a short time, at least, on corn fed in conjunc- 

 tion with alfalfa hay, and at a saving in cost. . . . Farm work horses at hard 

 labor should receive from li to IJ lbs. of grain, and from 1 to 1^ lbs. of hay, 

 per 100 lbs. of live weight per day, in order that their weight may be main- 

 tained. . . . The grain fed should be reduced one-half on idle days until 4 

 days have elapsed, or until they are again put to work, when it may be again 

 increased if desirable. By following this method attacks of azoturia were 

 prevented. The results of the experiment indicate that the general impression 

 is correct that horses may very properly be given a more bulky ration when 

 idle or doing light work than when at heavy work. It is believed that the 

 practice of permitting work horses to gorge themselves with hay is all too 

 common." 



The best color for horses in the Tropics, C. E. Woodexjff {Jour. U. 8. Ca/v- 

 aJry Assoc, 22(1911), No. 86, pp. 2.)3-263).— A discussion of the general 

 principles governing the natural selection of animal colors, as it is thought 

 that an increase in efficiency and a great financial saving will be jwssible by 

 selecting the most suitably colored horses, mules, and draft animals for the 

 Tropics. 



The skin of animals which have been domesticated in the Tropics is black. 

 As the pigment prevents possible actinic effects, the black surface radiating 

 heat to cooling bodies, black animals are at a disadvantage if the surround- 

 ing air is hotter than they are. Hence, the black animals hide or in some 

 other way protect themselves in the hottest part of the day, the carabao for 

 instance suffering from thermic fever unless he is allowed to bathe frequently. 

 Domesticated breeds originating in northwestern Europe have white skins, as 

 they have little need of the pigment protection and the light skin conserves 

 the body heat in a cold climate. The black animals are thus more restricted 

 in the range of temperature than white ones, for they are less able to with- 

 stand extremes of heat or cold, thereby showing the same temperature restric- 



