FOOD 353 



cut should be in the state of inflorescence, and any seeds that have formed 

 still adherent to the spike; they should be mainly those which grow on 

 good soils and be free from the inferior sorts which grow on poor and 

 wet lands. Hay that is mouldy, or much mow -burnt, must always be 

 looked upon as inferior, however good the grasses composing it may be, 

 and in whatever stage of maturity it may have been harvested. 



Rye-grass and clover-hay should be well mixed, free from weeds, have 

 a pleasant perfume and bright appearance, and it should be tough and 

 flexible, with leaves and seeds unshed. 



All inferior hay, such as samples that contain a large mixture of those 

 grasses which are characteristic of poor wet soils, or hay that is over- 

 ripe, bleached, very brittle, mouldy, bad-smelling, and highly fermented, 

 should be rejected. At the same time it may be remembered that a 

 small admixture of mow-burnt hay is not only not detrimental, but is 

 distinctly beneficial, in that in small proportions it has an appetizing 

 effect, and it seems to give to the whole a more agreeable aroma and 

 a more palatable flavour. 



New hay, although equal in nutritive value, does not seem to pos- 

 sess the same conditioning property as old hay, and horses fed on it 

 are " soft", perspire more profusely, and appear more liable to digestive 

 derangements. Notwithstanding the opinion of some very good horse- 

 men hay does not improve by being kept several years, and the only 

 advantage the horse-owner derives by the opportunity of buying hay 

 several years old is that he may continue to obtain the produce of 

 a particularly good hay season. The real gainer is the hay owner. By 

 keeping hay for several years, and carefully watching the course of the 

 markets, a higher price can often be secured than by yearly disposing of 

 each year's produce. 



In all large studs, and in many small ones, it is now the custom to 

 cut the whole of the hay into chaff, and this is undoubtedly the most 

 economical plan. Many horsemen, however, prefer giving a portion of the 

 hay in the rack; and, when care is taken to prevent waste, this is a capital 

 plan, especially for sick and idle horses. Invalids will frequently nibble 

 at rack hay when they refuse to look at chaff, and idle horses have their 

 attention occupied for a greater length of time, owing to the longer period 

 required for masticating the uncut hay. But for hard-working horses the 

 best plan is to cut the whole into chaff; such animals do not need a 

 stimulus to appetite, or their attention specially occupied. What they 

 require is food prepared so as to aid thorough digestion, and to be allowed 

 rest as soon as they have consumed their food. A marked benefit of 

 chaffing hay is the opportunity it affords for extracting dust, and one has 



