472 



FARMERS 'REGISTER 



ed so mucli in Gla^rrovv durinnr the winter of 1S36, 

 glanders is seiiloni Ikr oH.* This worthless hay 

 is always sold at a low rate, and iniicli oC it enters 

 the coachinj^ eiahles. But I am perlecily surf 

 that it would be cheaper to pay the hi^hnst prife 

 lor the best. One toti ofojood hay will, unless the 

 men be excessively careless, fro as f^ir as two tons 

 of that which is bad. To slow-work horses, 

 mow-burni hay niav be given with less detriment, 

 bui it is leiist unprofilattle when consumed by cattle. 



iVusty hay is known by its bad color, its unplea- 

 sant smell, tind biiter taste. It is soft and coated 

 with (iinifi. Like all hay, its smell is most distinct 

 when sliirhtly daniriened by breathing upon it. 

 Old hay is often musty, without having been heal- 

 ed. None but a hungry horse will eat it, and 

 when eaten in considerable (juantity it is said lo 

 be " bad for the wind." In truth, it is bad for 

 every part of the body. In some places they 

 sprinkle this musty hay with a solution of salt, 

 which induces the horse to eat it, but even thus, 

 it answers better lor bedding than for feeding, and 

 10 that purpose the horse applies most ol it. 



IVeather-bcaien hay \3 that which has lain in 

 the sward exposed to the rain and the sun. It is 

 musly, full of dust, sapless, bler.chcd, or blackened, 

 and destitute of seed. Such, also, is the state of 

 that which has stood too long uncut, ii.ll hay 

 should be cut a ihw days before the seed is quite 



hay, or seven of that made from clover, tares, or 

 saintfoin, afi'ord as much nourishment as three 

 pounds ofoais. Of I he hay raised on poor soils, 

 nine pounds may t)e retpiired. 



A horse can live on hay and water, when thrown 

 off work, for a considerable period, he often re- 

 ceives nothing else. This is not always riirhi. 

 The horse bee nies so leeble and so po'-bellied 

 that it IS long ere better luod will restore his con- 

 dition (or work. A liiile corn, some roots, or a 

 bran-mash, though iiiven only once in two days, 

 will help (o keep him in flesh. I have heard of 

 the horse being kept almost entirely on hay, re- 

 ceiving corn only when he was lo t)e used. I 

 would reconm)end tlie owner to confine himself 

 to bread and water for a week or two, and then 

 try what a beai-steak will enable him lo do. 

 There is a maierial difference between eating to 

 live, and eaiing to work. The stomach and bow- 

 els will hardly hold sufficient hay lo keep even an 

 idle horse ailve. 



The only preparation which hay receives before 

 it is given, is that of culling it into chaff, inio short 

 pieces. When given uncut, the groom does, or 

 should shake out ihe dust beibre he puts it in the 

 rack. 



Hay tea. — An infusion of hay made by pouring 

 boiling water upon it, and covering up till cool, 

 has been recommended as an excellent nutritioua 



ripe. Alier it has lost most of its seed, and its j drink (or sick horses, and also (or those in health, 

 juices, liille is left lo ali'ord nutriment. lit might perhaps be a very good substitute lor 



Salted hay, that is, hay with which salt has | gruel ; perha[)s a quart or two of the tea might 

 been mingled at the lime ol slacking it, is not | not be a bad thing for a racer, given between heais, 

 much used in Scotland. It is not to be had. I j and towards the end of the day, when the horse 

 can tell nothing about it. Horses are said to pre- j is beginning to get exhausted ll'om lasting, but it 

 fer it to any other. But the principal motive liar I has nol been tried. 



sailing hay is to preserve it when the weather re- 

 quires that it be slacked beH^re it is sufficiently 

 dry. Salt prevents or checks fermentation. It 

 darkens Ihe color of the hay and makes it weiurh 

 heavier, for salt attracts moisture. Salt, I think, 



Hay-seed. — In Scotland, and wherever the hay 

 is made chiefly from rye-grass, the :-eed is often 

 made use of in (eedinx,'. It is sometimes mixed 

 with the oats to prevent the horse from swallowing 

 I hem whole, but most frenerally it is given along 



s-hould not be forced on the horse. It may excite | with the boiled meat, either to divide it or lo soak 

 too much thirst. Given apart from the food, he I up the liquor. It contains more nulriment than 

 may take all that is good for hirn. Damaged hay | ihe hay itseKJ but probably not a great deal, unless 



is often sprinkled with salt water, which seems to 

 render it less disgustinij, and may possibly correct 

 its bad properties. It should be wetted as wanted, 

 for it soon becomes sodden and rotten. 



The daily quantity of hay allowed to each horse 



the hay has stood too long uncut. Some people 

 say that hay-seed is bad for the wind, but I have 

 never been able to trace any evil lo its use. There 

 is always much dust mingled with it, and this 

 should always be removed by washing. Some- 



must vary with ils quality and the work. If the j times the meat is boiled, and sometimes merely 

 corn be limited, the horse will eat a greaterweighl ! added lo the boiled meat while it is hot. I do not 



ol poor hay than of that which is more nutritious 

 If it be damaged, he must consume more than if it 

 were sound, lor he rejects some, perhaps a half, 

 and that which he eats does not furnish so much 

 nutriment. When the work is fast, the horse 

 must not have so much as to give him ii larue 

 belly. Eight pounils of good hsiy is about the 

 usual allowance to (ast-working horses, that may 

 receive from twelve to fifteen or eighteen pounds 

 of corn. Large draught-horses willconsume from 

 twenty to thirty pounds, but the quantity is sel- 

 dom limited for these. Much, however, depend 



know 1 hat boiling improves it, but it is much belter 

 liked afier boiling or ma>-king than in its raw slate. 

 Straw. — There are five kinds of' straw used as 

 fodder. I have not been able to learn that rye- 

 straw is ever used as fodder in this country. Of 

 the while kinds, wheat is supposed to be most nu- 

 tritious. Some, however, like oat-straw as well. 

 Barley-straw is almost useless for (odder, and is 

 not used when any other can be obtained. Pea- 

 straw is better than that of beans ; it has been re- 

 commended as equal to hay, and I have not much 

 doubt but it is much better than some hay. Siraw, 



upon Ihe allowance of corn. A German agricul- , 'lowever, is little used here. In many parts of 

 turist calculates that eight pounds of meadow- ! Europe, wheat, barley, or rye-straw forms the 



. . I whole or greater part of the dried herbage, hay 



* The influenza I mean, was r;ot at all similar to a '^^'"S almost unknown. In some of the towns 

 disease which went under the same name at the same | ^vheat and oat-slraw are occasionally given to cart- 

 fime in Ensland. We had almost none ofihe English I horses, and in some cases to coaching-horses. In 

 influenza till the last week of May, 1837. In the j the country, both white and black straw are in 

 month of June it was very prevalent. I common use as winter fodder fb.^ the farm-horsea'. 



