358 THE HORSE 



laicd ; llie^ speedily put both muscle and fat on the horse that is worn down 

 by labour, and they are almost a specific for hide-bound. Some farmers 

 have thought so higiily of lucern as to substitute it for oats. This may do 

 for the agricultural horse of slow and not hard work; but he from whom 

 speedier action is sometimes required, and the horse of all work, must liave 

 a proportion of hard meal within him. 



The Swedish Tuknip is an article of food, the value of which has not 

 been suIRciently appreciated, and particularly for agricultural horses. 

 Although it is far from containing the quantity of nutritive matter which 

 has been supposed, that, like the nutriment of the saint-foin and the lucern, 

 seems to be capable of easy and complete digestion. Tt should be sliced 

 with chopped straw, and without hay. Thirty pounds of tlie turnip, with 

 two or three quarterns of oats, and six pounds of straw, will be sufficient 

 for a horse of moderately hard work. Hackneys have been kept on them 

 with a less quantity of oats. 



Carrots. — The virtues of this root are not sufficiently known, whether 

 as contributing to the strength and endurance of the healthy horse, or the 

 rapid recovery of the sick one. To the healthy horse they should be given 

 sliced in his chaff. Half a bushel will be a fiair daily allowance, and the 

 two pounds of beans, and three pounds of the oats, may be withdrawn. 

 There is little provender of which the horse is fonder. Some farmers 

 allow a bushel of carrots with chaff, and without any oats; and the horses 

 nre said to be equal to all agricultural or slow work. 



Potatoes have been given, and with advantage, in their raw state, sliced 

 with the chaff; but, where it has been convenient to boil or steam them, 

 the benefit has been far more evident. Some have given boiled potatoes 

 alone, and horses, instead of rejecting them, have soon preferred them even 

 to the oat ; but it is better to mix them with the usual manger feed, in the 

 proportion of one pound of potatoes to two and a half pounds of the other 

 ingredients. The use of the potato must depend on its cheapness, and the 

 facility for boiling it. Half a dozen horses would soon repay the expense 

 of a steaming boiler in the saving of provender, without taking into 

 the account their improved condition and capability for work. A horse fed 

 on potatoes should have his quantity of water materially curtailed during 

 the continuance of such feeding. 



Furze has sometimes been given during the winter months. There is 

 considerable trouble attending the preparation of it, although its plentiful- 

 ness and little value for other purposes would, on a large farm, well repay 

 that trouble. The furze is cut down at about three or four years' growth; 

 the green branches of that and the preceding year are cut off, and bruised in 

 a mill, and then given to the horses in the state in which tiiey came from the 

 mill, or cut up with the chaff. Horses are very fond of it. If twenty 

 pounds of the furze be given, five pounds of straw, the beans, and three 

 pounds of the oats, may he withdrawn. 



It may not be uninteresting to conclude this catalogue of the different 

 articles of horse food with a list of the quantities of nutritive matter 

 ".ontained in each of them ; for although these quantities cannot be con- 

 sidered as expressing the actual value of each, because other circum- 

 stances besides the simple quantity of nutriment seem to influence their 

 effect in supporting the strength and condition of tiie horse, yet many 

 a useful hint may be derived when the farmer looks over the produce 

 of his soil, and inquires what other grasses or vegetables might suit 

 his .soil. The list is partly taken from Sir Humphry Davy's Agricultural 

 Chemistry: 1000 parts of wheat contain 955 parts of nutritive matter; 

 barley, 970; oats, 743 ; peas, 574 ; beans; 570; potatoes, 230 ; red beeu 



