304 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



Beginning in 1874, the Paris Omnibus Company, then employing 

 nearly 10,000 horses averaging about 1.200 Ibs. each, conducted extensive 

 feeding trials with Indian corn. Feeding corn exclusively with hay from 

 the grasses was found to depress the spirits of the horses, and accord- 

 ingly a mixture of 6.6 Ibs. of corn and 12.1 Ibs. of oats was adopted, 

 varying somewhat with different horses. Thru this combination the 

 company effected a saving of from $200,000 to $300,000 yearly. The 

 Paris Cab Company, also beginning at about the same time to feed corn 

 in place of oats, had such satisfactory results that it almost entirely 

 ceased feeding oats. 



From these trials, and others with some 17,000 French army horses, 

 Lavalard 8 concluded: "Experiments have demonstrated that corn can 

 replace oats in the ration of both army and cavalry horses, and if substi- 

 tuted weight for weight, it increases the nutritive value of the ration. 



The horses fed the corn ration were used the same number of 



hours in military drill, and in the maneuvers were ridden at the same 

 gait as those fed oats, and it was practically impossible to perceive the 

 least difference in the two classes. The army officers, prejudiced as they 

 naturally were, were forced to admit that all the horses showed the same 

 energy and vigor. Careful records kept show that sickness and mortality 

 were the same for the horses on the two rations." 



477. Corn and legume hay. With legume hay for roughage to supply 

 the lacking protein and mineral matter, corn may be successfully fed as 

 the only concentrate to mature horses at general farm work. In a 48- 

 week trial by Carmichael at the Ohio Station 9 one horse in each of 3 farm 

 teams was fed ear corn with mixed clover and timothy hay for roughage, 

 while the other one was fed oats with the same roughage. In spite of the 

 fact that the corn-fed horses received only the same weight of ear corn, 

 including cobs, as the others did of oats, they maintained their weights 

 nearly as well. With corn at 40 cents and oats at 30 cents a bushel, 

 using corn in place of oats saved over one-fourth in the cost of feed. 



Trowbridge fed one mule in each of 2 farm teams at the Missouri 

 Station 10 shelled corn and the other one oats, all receiving mixed clover 

 and timothy hay, for 364 days, when the rations were reversed and the 

 feeding continued for another 364-day period. The mules fed corn main- 

 tained their weight slightly better than those fed oats and at 21 per 

 ct. less expense for feed, with oats at $0.40 and shelled corn at $0.50 

 per bushel. Both Carmichael and Trowbridge report that the corn-fed 

 animals endured hard work during hot weather as well as those fed oats, 

 and that the corn was not detrimental to health or spirit. 



478. Barley. This grain is extensively employed for horse feeding 

 in Africa, in various parts of the Orient, and in Europe. In this country 

 it is extensively used on the Pacific coast, especially in California. Ow- 

 ing to the fact that the grains are hard and small, barley should be 

 crushed or ground for horses. (463) Crushing is preferable, as barley 



Expt Sta. Record, 12, 1900, p. 14. 'Ohio Bui. 195. 10 Mo. Bui. 114. 



