FOOD OF THE FOAL. 543 



milk, asses' milk, and even of sheep's milk. It contains 1 6.2 per 

 cent of solid residue, the caseine being in small proportion (1.7 

 per cent), but the fat and sugar in large proportion the fat 

 being 6.95 per cent, and the sugar 8.75 per cent. The ashes 

 of milk in general consist principally of common salt and the 

 earth of bones. There are also found in the ash, potash and 

 the oxide of iron. The only plants which contain caseine, or a 

 proteine compound very similar to caseine, are the leguminous 

 plants, such as beans and pease. Of these, a due proportion 

 should be mixed with the food of the mare while she is suck- 

 ling the foal. These plants also contain notable proportions of 

 phosphoric acid and potash, as well as lime and magnesia, with 

 which phosphoric acid produces bone-earth. The more succu- 

 lent foods, which, by their nature, seem well adapted to promote 

 such a secretion as milk, do not contain so great a proportion 

 of phosphoric acid or of potash, or of lime and magnesia ; yet 

 the large quantities in which such foods can be taken often 

 sufficiently compensate for this deficiency. Of this description 

 are turnips, carrots, mangold-wurzel, and parsnips. It is mani- 

 fest, however, that if the mare, while she suckles the foal, is 

 kept at labour, a larger quantity of food becomes requisite than 

 would suffice for the same amount of labour, when no such 

 drain as that of the secretion of milk is made on her. 



The food of the foal, from the time when, but a month old, 

 he begins to eat bruised oats, does not deserve less attention. 



The following passage from Stonehenge has an important 

 bearing on the subject: "Highly-bred young stock are gene- 

 rally allowed from this time, first a single quartern, and then 

 by degrees two quarterns, of oats. Half-breds, and even cart- 

 horses, would be the better for this stimulus to development ; 

 but if it is begun, it should be continued ; and unless the foal 

 shows such promise that it is expected to turn out extraordi- 

 narily well, the extra expense will not be reimbursed. The 



