HORSES. 41 



During the Peninsular war the cavalry horses 

 were fed at one time on brown sugar, about eight 

 pounds per diem, and did capitally. It had to be 

 flavoured with asafcetida to prevent the soldiers 

 bagging it, but to this the steeds did not object. 

 This reminds me of a plan adopted — I believe with 

 fair success — some years since in Suffolk, during a 

 dearth of hay, of giving the bullocks in lieu thereof 

 chopped straw steeped for twenty-four hours in 

 treacle and water, in the proportion of one pound of 

 treacle to a gallon of water. 



All your hay should be cut into chaff ; the horses 

 will fill themselves sooner, and lie down to rest 

 accordingly, added to which there is no waste under 

 foot. Half a master's business is to scold about 

 economy in hay, as it is the most expensive food of 

 any, and was considered by Arthur Young not to 

 pay when bought over 21. per ton (31. Is. now-a-days, 

 on a comparative estimate of agricultural prices in 

 his day and ours). In Australia, oat-hay is much 

 used ; that is, the oat crop is cut half ripe, just 

 before the seed can resign itself to leaving the shell, 

 and with the stem half green. The crop is cut and 

 made as clover, is much relished by the stock, and is 

 reckoned by the settler in the bush quite as good 

 provender as hay and corn together. Many farmers 

 in England cut the oats up in the sheaf for the 

 horses, giving no hay at all. There is apt to be 

 waste by this plan, owing to the several cartings to 

 and fro, which of course, however, as everything 

 else, might be provided against. 



The careful carter likes a cistern in the stable, in 



