NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 403 
rinary writers claim that chronic cough is cured l:y giving carrots for 
some time. The roots may be considered, then, as an adjunct to the 
regular regimen, and if fed in small quantities are highly beneficial. 
Grasses.— Grass is the natural food of horses. It is composed of a 
great variety of plants, differing widely as to the amount of nourishment 
contained, some being almost entirely without value as foods and only 
eaten when there is nothing else obtainable, while others are positively 
injurious, or even poisonous. None of the grasses are sufficient to keep 
the horse in condition for work. Horses thus fed are "soft," sweat easily, 
purge, and soon tire on the road or when at hard work. To growing 
stock grass is indispensable, and there is little or no doubt but that it 
acts as an alterative when given to horses accustomed to grain and hay. 
It must be given to such horses in small quantities at first. The stomach 
and intestines undergo rest, and recuperate if the horse is turned to grass 
for a time each year. It is also certain that during febrile diseases grass 
acts almost as a medicine, lessening the fever and favoring recovery. 
Wounds heal more rapidly than when the horse is on grain, and some 
chronic disorders (chronic cough, for instance) disappear entirely when 
at grass. In my experience, grass does more good when the horse crops 
it himself. This may be due to the sense of freedom he enjoys at pasture, 
to the rest to his feet and limbs, and for many other similar reasons. 
When cut for him it should be fed fresh or when but slightly wilted. 
PEEPARATIOX OF FOODS. 
Foods are prepared for feeding for any of the following reasons: To 
render the food more easily eaten; to make it more digestible; to econo- 
mize in amount; to give it some new property; and to serve it. We have 
already spoken of the preparation of drying and need not revert to this 
again, as it only serves to preserve the different foods. Drying does, 
however, change some of the properties of food, i. e., removes the laxa- 
tive tendency of most of them. 
The different grains are more easily eaten when ground, crushed, or 
€ven boiled. Rye or wheat should never be given whole, and even of 
corn it is found that there is less waste when ground, and, in common 
with all grains, it is more easily digested than when fed whole. 
Hay and fodder are economized when cut in short pieces. Not only 
will the horse eat the necessary amount in a shorter time, but it will be 
found that there is less waste, and the mastication of the grains (whole 
or crushed) fed with them is insured. 
Reference has already been made to these horses that bolt their food, 
and we need only remark here that the consequences of such ravenous 
eating may be prevented if the grains are fed with cut hay, straw or 
fodder. Long or uncut hay should also be fed, even though a certain 
amount of hay or straw is cut and fed mixed with grain. 
One objection to feeding cut hay mixed with ground or crushed grains, 
and wetted, must not be overlooked during the hot months. Such food 
is apt to undergo fermentation if not fed directly after it is mixed; and 
the mixing trough e\en, unless frequently scaled and cleaned, becomes 
