HOKSE FEEDING. 



17 



cakes from distillery refuse, and other commercial cakes. Our recent 

 tests have added nothing to the deductions drawn from our earlier 

 experiments with these nmterials. It may be positively stated, how- 

 ever, that the chemical composition and digestibility of any of these 

 feeding stuffs determines the proportion which may be substituted for 

 oats, and that the composition and digestibility of all of them may vary 

 within wide limits. Following the methods that we have used, we 

 believe it is quite possible to devise successful rations for maintenance, 

 transportation, and work. 



coarsp: fodders. 



Before closing it seems desirable to add a few words concerning the 

 coarse fodders usually fed with the different grains. In discussing 

 the standard ration it was explained that hay was the principal coarse 

 fodder used, and that straw figured only in an incidental manner. 

 The average composition of hay and straw as shown bv our analyses 

 of samples grown in many regions of France is as follows: 



Average coinpofilHon of Frencli, Jiaij and draw. 



These coarse fodders may be replaced in the ration of horses by 

 other fodder plants, such as alfalfa, sainfoin, red clover, etc. This 

 statement is borne out by the recent experiments of Miintz and 

 Girard^ made with the horses of the Ooivpag/i/e generale des voitures. 



The statement is often made that horses can not do without straw. 

 This is an error, for we have fed horses hay and oats during very long 

 periods and have never noticed that they suffered any inconvenience 

 or detriment. This is a matter of importance, since it is often incon- 

 venient to obtain straw, and in such cases peat, sawdust, sand, etc., 

 may be profitably used as bedding in place of straw. 



Nothing has been said of the use of green fodders. Such feed, 

 however, is more suited to special conditions and is very dependent 

 upon the fertilizer used for the crop, the method of harvesting, and 

 the condition of the animal fed. Green fodder does not contain suffi- 

 cient nutritive material to make it in any real sense a feeding stuff for 

 horses performing much work. The same may be said of certain 

 plants which have been much advertised from time to time, such as 

 furze, couch grass, etc. 



In an earlier publication the feeding value of carrots, parsnips, ruta- 

 bagas, beetle and potatoes was discussed. The use of these materials 

 has been attempted from time to time with varying success. 



'Ann. Agron., 24 (1898), p. 5. 



