Feed and Care of the Horse. 329 



superintendent having under his care some 7,000 horses em- 

 ployed in the collieries of North England, who writes as follows:^ 

 ''I was called to a colliery in Durham some time ago; the out- 

 put at this place was decreased from fifteen to twenty score per 

 day through the horses being unable, from want of condition, to 

 get the work out. The animals were miserably poor, though 

 allowed 168 pounds of oats and 154 pounds of hay each per 

 week. The oats were not crushed and the hay was not chopped. 

 The horses were large, none under 16 hands, many 16.2. They 

 worked very long hours, and took heavy loads, but I confess I 

 was astonished at their appearance after many months of such 

 apparently liberal feeding. On September 1 their food was 

 changed to the following: 



Crushed peas 35 lbs. at 34s. per qr. 



Crushed barley 20 lbs. at 28s. per qr. 



Crushed oats 40 lbs. at 28s. per qr. 



Bran 14 lbs. at 7^d. per st. 



Hay 7 sts. at 9d. 



Total 12s. 91d. 



"The old plan gave us: 



Oats 168 lbs. at 28s. per qr. 14s. Od. 



Hay 11 sts. at 9d. per st. 8s. 3d. 



Total £1 2s. 3d. 



Difference: 9s. SJd. per horse per week. 



"Notice, too, that besides this saving in money, the digestive 

 organs had 56 pounds less hay and 59 pounds less corn (grain) to 

 digest. Or: — 



Mixed grain lOOlbs. Old oats 1681bs. 



Hay 981bs. Hay 1541bs. 



Total 2071bs. Total 322 lbs. 



"Eesult: Within three months this stud was in excellent 

 health and condition, drawing out of the pit, without any appli- 

 cation of engine power, about twenty to thirty scores more per 

 day than when I first saw them. There were 149 horses on the 

 colliery, so by this change a saving of £3,662 12s. 1\^. per annum 

 was effected." 



• Pape'' read before New Castle Farmers' Club by Mr. Chas. Hunting. 

 South Hettou, County of Durham, England; see The English Cart 

 Horse Stad Book, Vol. I, p. xlv. 



