42 NOTES ON FIELDS AND CATTLE. 



which lie soaks all the chaff for some hours before 

 he gives it to his team. He has casually learnt in 

 practice what he would not believe if you told him 

 in theory, that water is a main element of his 

 horse's build and substance, as of his own. A lump 

 of rock salt there should be in every manger and 

 box upon the farm. This the master must con- 

 tinually see to; it is a screw that is continually 

 flying from the men's inclination or memory. Some 

 / don't like it ; some won't recollect. They object if 

 you scatter salt upon damp hay, should you be so 

 unlucky as to have been caught by the rain ; 

 although they see their horses positively enjoy the 

 apparently mouldy hay which has been so doctored : 

 and you would utterly fail if you were to attempt to 

 persuade them, that, for a lick of salt, the cattle will 

 gallop by water on the burning wastes of Africa. 

 However, on this head, you must be peremptory. 

 The teams should be well sorted in respect to age 

 and pace. An old horse and a slow horse, sell at 

 once ; they will never pay to keep. I make excep- 

 tion, of course, in the case of a brood mare, though 

 her colts in her later days will not equal those of 

 her youth. 



If your teams come into regular work at three 

 years old, you will sell off at six, and one relay 

 replaces the other. This is open to exceptions where 

 you may be partial to an individual horse, or have a 

 gap to fill up, &c. At that age, however, they will 

 be at their zenith in pluck and bloom to sell. 



This is speaking generally. Of course, if you have 

 in your hands a breed of substance and beauty fit to 



