FARMERS- REGISTER— HORSE FEEDING. 



39 



consequently ol' health: they are also thought to 

 improve the wind. Parsnij:s are still more nourish- 

 ing, horses eat them greedily, but they soon clog 

 the appetite; and, in the island of Jersey, where 

 the root is ts^d extensively fur other purj;oses, it 

 is never given to them, fur it is alleged that, when 

 kept on that food, their eyes are apt to suller in- 

 jury.* INI angel- wurzel, though inierior to. these, 

 IS preferable to anj'turnij s, except Svvedcs.f All 

 these roots, except jjotatoes, and turnips when used 

 along with them or other substances, as a mash, 

 are generally given raw, and care should betake;), 

 in slicing them, to cut the pieces sufficiently small 

 to prevent them from sticking in the throat if swal- 

 lowed whole; an accident from which serious con- 

 sequences have ensued. 



In mo^ instances only one half of the usual 

 allowance of corn has been givea to horses thus 

 fed, and they have notwithstanding gope through 

 their customary labor wiJi as much apparent ease, 

 and have been maintained in as good condition as 

 when kept in the ordinary way. In some cases, 

 all the' corn, and in others, all the hiy, also, has 

 been withheld, and numberless accounts have been 

 published to prove that the work has still been 

 equally well done. Some of these are subjoined, 

 in order that every one may judge for himsell" of 

 the degree of attention to -which they are entitled. 

 It must, however, be remarked, that although 

 farm-horses may be kept in very fair condition, 

 and their common field-labor may be performed, 

 at some seasons, without corn, yet that hard work 

 cannot be supported without high feeding, of which 

 Bound hay and oats, and old beans or peas must 

 ever form the chief part; though, even then, a 

 portion of roots will be found serviceable in keep- 

 ing the bowels open and the body in a healthy 

 state. The following are a few of tlie statements 

 most to be relied on. 



In the.details of managerrient on separate farms, 

 already published in the ' Farmers' Series, ' we 

 find that, in one instance, horses, constantly work- 

 ed throughout the winter, as long as there is day- 

 light, are maintained in good condition upon about 

 a peck of oats, given in three feeds, chiefly of light 

 corn, the last of which is made into a mash with 

 yellow turnips, bran, and chatlj steamed or boiled 

 together on the previous day : turnips are also 

 given raw, and the only rack-meat appears to be 

 oat-straw, j In another, only one feed of oats is 

 given, together with hay and bean-haulm, and 

 Swedes, both raw and steamed; and it seems that 

 some farmers substitute Swedish and yellow tur- 

 nips wholly for corn, yet their cattle are said to be 

 fresh and in good working order: but it is admitted 

 in both these instances, thtit when there is much 

 carting, oats are allowed according to the work, 

 and the quantity is increased in the spring.§ 



The late Mr. Curwen, who tried more experi- 

 ments than most men in the feeding of cattle, kept 



♦Quayle's Survey of the Island on tlie Coast of Nor- 

 mandy, p. 103. 



t Statements of the proportionate value of these and 

 other articles of cattle food, will be found under their 

 respective heads in future chapters. 

 X No. 18, p. 70. § Ibid, p. 97. See also No. 12, p. 43. 



N. B. One peck and a half of oats make four Scotch 

 Uppies, or feeds, as alluded to in these accounts; or one- 

 ^half more than the quantity usually considered as a 

 feed in En£:land. 



nearly a hundred of his colliery and liirm-horses 

 during the winter upon equal quantities of cut 

 straw and potatoes, steamed together, in lieu of 

 hay; and found that some which were worked in 

 the same manner, but led with hay instead of 

 potatoes, were not in equal condition wiih the 

 others. * His mode of feeding, as detailed by the 

 Carron company, who have adopted his plan, is 

 thus:— 'They have three tubs steauung at a time: 

 two of potatoes, and one of chopped straw, chaff, 

 or dusting-seeds; ihey empty one tub of |;otatoe3 

 into a large mash-tub, by way of bottom layer; 

 then the tub of chopped straw, and last, the re- 

 maining tub of potatoes: the whole is wrought up 

 and mixed with a large v/ooden pestle; and to this 

 they add a small quantity of salt. A bucket is 

 brought for each horse with his feed of corn (bruis- 

 ed oats) in the bottom, and his proportion of the 

 mash is filled in above; when it is eulptied into the 

 manger, the corn is of course uppermost, and the 

 horse feeder puts his hand through to mix it. ' t 

 They feed warm. The quantitj- of food, and cal- 

 culation of expense, are as follows: — 

 Farm Horses. 



I-l stone of potatoes, at 3c/. 

 Tibs, of cut straw Id.') 

 and cutting Id. 5 

 Steaming - . _ 



71bs. long straw - 

 Sibs. of oats - - . 



Colliery Horses. 



81bs. of ha}' and Slbs. of straw cut } 

 together 3 



Cutting- 

 Tibs, of steamed potatoes 

 61bs. of carrots _ . - 



121bs. of oats - - . - 



1^ 



2h 



1 



per horse, per day, 1 10^ 



The potatoes are estimated at 50s. per ton, in- 

 clusive of the expense of steaming; oats at an 

 average of about 3s. 4d. per bushel; hay at 21. 12s. 

 6d, and straw at 1.5s. 6c/. per load, exclusive of 

 the cost of cutting. 



Afier several years expeaience of the compara- 

 tive merits of steamed potatoes and straw, or hay, 

 Mr. Curwen gave a decided preference to the for- 

 mer, both as regards the saving of expense, its 

 efiects upon the health of the animal, and its 

 power of upholding their condition; but notwith- 

 standing the api'arent candor of his testimony, 

 and its being corroborated by many similar state- 

 ments,f it is Avell known that, when much exertion 

 is required, both hay and corn become necessar}% 



*'Hints on the Economy of Feeding Stock, &.c. &c. 

 by J. C. Curwen, Esq. M. P. 



•f- Communications to the Board of Agriculture, vol. 

 v. No. 10, p. 210. 



J See the Farmers' Magazine, vol. xi. p. 334, and 

 xiv. p. 229; and the Suivey of Dumfriesshire, chap, 

 xiv. p. 376. The latter account states the quantity 

 given to be 42_lbs. of potatoes and about lOlbs. of straw, 

 without any oats, except when the horses arc employed, 

 on the road. 



