FOOD. 357 



or tiie conaensation of the most ioiportant part of his work in Sir Humphry 

 Davy's Agricultural Chemistry, are well deserving of the diligent perusal 

 of the farmer. 



Were there not too many proofs that the very refuse of the farm is often 

 devoted to the keep of the agricultural horse, it would be needless to repeat 

 that the animal that works constantly and hard should have the best food, 

 and plenty of it. Old hay, as having longer undergone that slow process 

 of fermentation, by which the sugar it contains is developed, is far more 

 nutritive and wholesome than new hay. Moivburnt hay is more injurious 

 to horses than to any other of the domestic animals, and is a fruitful source 

 of disease. • 



Where the manger system of feeding is not adopted, or where hay is still 

 given at night, and chatF and corn in the day, there is no error into which 

 the farmer is so apt to fall as to give an undue quantity of hay, and that 

 generally of the worst kind. If the manger system is good, tliere can be 

 no necessity for hay, or only 'for a small quantity of it; but if the rack is 

 overloaded, the greedy horse will be eating all night, instead of taking his 

 rest; and when the time for the morning feed arrives, his stomach will be 

 already filled, and he will be less capable of work, from the want of sleep, 

 and from the long-continued distension of the stomach rendering it impossible 

 for the food to be properly digested. 



It is a good practice to sprinkle the hay with water in which salt has 

 been dissolved. It is evidently more palatable to the animal, who will 

 leave the best unsalted hay for that of an inferior quality that has been 

 moistened with brine ; and there can be no doubt that the salt very mate- 

 rially assists the process of digestion. The preferable way of salting the 

 hay would be to sprinkle it over the ditTerent layers as the rick is formed. 

 From its attraction for water, it would combine with that excess of moisture 

 which, in wet seasons, is the cause of too rapid and violent fermentation, 

 and of the hay becoming mowburnt, or the rick sometimes catching fire, 

 and it would become more incorporated with the hay. The only objection 

 to its being thus used is, that the colour of the hay is not so bright ; but this 

 would be of little consequence for home consumption. 



Of the value of Tares, as forming a portion of the late spring and sum- 

 mer food of the stabled and agricultural horse, there can be no doubt. 

 They are very nutritive, and they act as a kind of medicine. When surfeit- 

 lumps appear on the skin, and the horse begins to rub himself against the 

 divisions of the stall, and the legs swell, and the heels threaten to crack, a 

 few tares, cut up with the chaif, or given instead of a portion of the hay, 

 will often afford immediate and perfect relief. Ten or twelve pounds may 

 be given daily, and half that weight of hay subtracted. It is an erroneous 

 notion, that, given in moderate quantities, they either roughen the coat or 

 lessen the capability for hard work. 



Rye-Grass affbrds a valuable article of food, but is inferior to the tare. 

 It is not so nutritive; it is apt to scour; and occasionally, and late in the 

 spring, it has appeared to become injurious to the horse. 



Clover, for soiling the horse, is inferior to the tare and the rye-grass, 

 but, nevertheless, is useful when they cannot be obtained. Clover hay is, 

 perhaps, preferable to meadow hay for chaff; it will sometimes tempt tho 

 sick horse, and may be given with advantage to those of slow and heavy 

 work ; but custom seems properly to have forbidden it to the hunter and 

 the hackney. 



LucKRN, where it can be obtained, is preferable even to tares, and 

 Saint-foin is superior to lucern. Although they contain but a small 

 quantity of nutritive matter, that is easily digested, and perfectly assimi- 



