-Sl- 

 ing water to fill the pail, and cover tight, to keep in the steam. 

 Press the hay down occasionally, let it stand fifteen minutes, turn 

 off, and add water enough to make a bucket three-quarters full. 

 Give to the horse when the liquid is cool enough to drink. 



VIII. The Value of Hay and Straw. 



In the feeding of horses the principal use of hay is to distend 

 the stomach. For this reason lean horses, and those just off the 

 pasture on coarse feed, require more than those which are reg- 

 ularly stabled and groomed. The change to grain must not be 

 too sudden, else indigestion is apt to set in. Once a horse is used 

 to full rations of grain, if oats are used, or corn meal and bran, 

 he may get along daily with fi'om six to eight pounds of hay a 

 day. The hay, however, must be of the very best, bright, clean 

 and free from dust. There is no economy in feeding bad hay. 

 It is the cause of heaves, broken wind and other diseases pro- 

 duced by indigestion. Good clean straw is altogether better than 

 poor hay. Straw is altogether the best material for bedding, and 

 should always be used when it can be had. In the West it is 

 plenty, and yet not one farmer in ten uses it for bedding in suf- 

 ficient quantity, or renews it often enough. 



IX. Feeding Grain. 



The most economical way of feeding grain is in its whole state. 

 Oats and corn should be shaken in. a sieve with a mesh so small 

 that it will not go through, all dust and light matter blown away, 

 and all stones, bits of iron or wire, carefully picked out. It will 

 pay to do this. In feeding corn allow one-half the measure of 

 shelled corn that would be deemed sufficient of oats, since corn 

 weighs about double that of oats. If corn in the ear is fed, one- 

 third more b}'^ measure heaped should be allowed than when 

 shelled grain is used. 



Some horses eat their grain better for being moistened. Horses 

 with bad teeth always bolt their food whole. All such horses, 

 and also aged ones, should be fed cut hay and ground feed. 



