520 PHYSIOLOGY AT THE FARM. 



Proposed Dietaries for the Horse tried by the foregoing 

 Principles. That we may not overrate what we have learned 

 by this somewhat lengthened exposition, for a moment let 

 us recapitulate. The fundamental facts made use of were all 

 ascertained to our hand more or less exactly the quantity of 

 food required by a man at rest, the quantity required by a man 

 under active exertion ; the quantity of food required by a horse 

 at rest, the quantity required by a horse under severe labour ; 

 the quantity of food required by an ox. Moreover, it was pos- 

 sible to discover what proportion of flesh-former proximate 

 principles existed in different kinds of food, and to exhibit the 

 proportion of flesh-former proximate principles necessary in 

 the several different circumstances under which a man, a horse, 

 or an ox has been considered. 



It must be remembered, however, that the conclusions given 

 as to the respective quantities of flesh-formers required by a 

 horse at rest and by a horse under continued exertion stand 

 solely on the two diets communicated to Dr Playfair by Pro- 

 fessor Dick. These diets are determined by experience, but 

 they furnish a standard in the amount of flesh-formers and 

 heat-givers contained, by which to try other diets not equally 

 confirmed by experience. Before going farther, then, let us 

 examine some of the other published formulas for the diet of 

 horses by these standards. The following formula, described 

 as economical, is, according to the standard deduced by Dr 

 Playfair from Professor Dick's diet, sufficient only for a horse 

 at rest : 



10 lb. of chopped straw. 

 10 lb. of oats. 

 16 lb. of turnips. 



Flesh-formers in chopped straw, 1.6 per cent, 

 do. in oats, 17.0 do. 



do. in turnips, 0.3 do. 



