322 Food, 



of view) of albumen. It is, 1 imagine, in great measure owing to 

 the saccharine matter contained in it, that barley is found to be more 

 nutritious than oats to Horses, after they get accustomed to this food, 

 fur, besides containing a greater quantity of nutritive matter, in the 

 aggregate, than oats, in the proportion of 920, to 743, it is found 

 to consist of 70 parts out of 1000 of saccharine matter, whereas 

 oats contain only fifteen parts. Through a great part of the conti- 

 nent, barley is given to Horses along w ith straw, which is used instead 

 of hay, the barley making up the deficiency of the latter, in nutri- 

 tive matter. For, it must be recollected that the stomachs of all 

 Horses, and especially of such as work hard, need the stimulus of 

 bulk, as well as that of nutriment, and as it would not be reconcileable 

 with the interests of the proprietor (except under very peculiar cir- 

 cumstances) to allow working Horses as much corn as they would be 

 inclined to eat, it becomes necessary to make up the deficiency, with 

 some article less costly. Now, good Hay certainly contains a great 

 deal more nutriment than straw, but whenever it may become advise- 

 able or necessary to give straw to Horses, rather than hay, an allow- 

 ance of barley, in preference to oats, will be found to be attended 

 with the best effect upon the animals. Both oals and barley are the 

 better for age, and old corn seems to produce superior nutritive 

 effects upon horses, on some principle not easy to be explained, in- 

 asmuch as none of the nutritive matter can possibJy escape from the 

 seed, which loses nothing but water during the process of drying. 

 For, if we were to admit that an eighth of the weight of the grain is 

 lost by keeping, in consequence of the evaporation of its water, (a 

 proportion 1 should think much beyond what actually takes place), 

 it will by no means account for the disparity supposed, by practical 

 men, to exist between the nutritive effects of new and old corn. 



