146 The 'Book of the Coat. 



Trees and Plants to be Avoided. There are many- 

 plants and shrubs that are poisonous to one kind of animal 

 and devoured with impunity by others, goats being gener- 

 ally amongst the latter. Thus, the long-leaved water- 

 hemlock will kill a cow, whereas the goat browses on it 

 greedily. There are a few things, however, which should 

 be avoided, as they are generally poisonous. I say gener- 

 ally, because, strange to relate, even the same shrub does 

 not seem to have at all times an equally prejudicial effect ; 

 thus yew will cause death to sheep, goats, and other 

 ruminants at one part of the season, but at another may 

 have scarcely any ill consequences whatever. This is one 

 of the trees, however, which goats should be kept care- 

 fully away from. Another is privet ; the leaves have not, 

 I believe, any ill consequences, but the berries are apt 

 to prove fatal. Monkshood and rhododendrons have also 

 proved very poisonous to this class of stock. I have read 

 that pods of laburnum, laurel leaves, and bladder senna 

 are fatal to goats, but I have had no such experience of 

 these. Some people imagine that ivy is bad for goats, but 

 it is not so, and these animals are very fond of it. 



"Dry Food. 



Hay. Hay is best supplied in its entire state; but it 

 may be cut up into chaff and mixed with the corn. Any- 

 one possessing a chaff-cutter may find it worth while to 

 chop up hay and oat straw together when a number of 

 goats have to be fed, but bought chaff is generally inferior 

 stuff, and not so good for milking-goats as hay. This bulky 

 food serves the purpose of filling the stomach, which 

 requires a certain amount of distension to enable it to 

 perform its functions properly. To effect this with corn 

 alone would, in the first place, be expensive ; and, secondly, 

 so large a quantity of concentrated food would be 

 injurious. In fact, hay or chaff given in conjunction 



