FARMERS' REGISTER 



473 



It is very probable that wheal-straw, and perhaps 

 some oCihe olliers, may soon be us^d much more 

 extensively than at present. Good straw is cer- 

 tainly belter than bad iiay, and possibly, by in- 

 creasing the allowance of corn, and cuttinij; the 

 straw, hay miulu be almost entirely dispensed 

 with. Thouifli containm<]; much less nuiriment, 

 it siili contains some, and it serves quite as well 

 gs hay to divide the corn and irive ii a wliolesome 

 size. It must be undor^lood that food ought to 

 possess bulk |)roporiione(i in some d^pree to the 

 capacity of ihe digestive ortrans. Nutriment can 

 be given in a very concenirated stale, yet it is not 

 proper to conderise it beyond a certain point. Corn 

 alone will give all the nourishnu'nt which any 

 horse can need, but he must also have some Ibdder 

 (0 give bulk to the corn, though it need not of 

 necessiiy yield much nutriment. Straw, therelbre, 

 may often be used where liay is used. This has 

 been proved very fairly in this country. Mr. 

 Mein, of Glasgow, kept his coaching-horses in 

 excellent order lor nearly eight moiiihs, virithout a 

 single sialic of hay. During dear hay seasons it 

 is the custom, with many large owners, to make 

 straw from a part ol' the Ibdder. VVheat&traw is 

 prelerred, but faw object to that of the oat. 



But when horses are living chiefly on Iiay, as 

 many larm horses do, during a part of the winter, 

 it must not be supposed that an <'qual quantity, or 

 indeed any quaniiiy ol'siraw, will supply the place 

 ofthat ha_v. The stomach and bowels will hardly 

 liold hay enouifh to nourish even an idle horse, 

 and fjs straw yields less nuirimeni in proportion to 

 its bulk, enough cannot be eaien to furnish the 

 nulrin)enl required. The deficiency must be made 

 up by roots or corn. 



VVhen much straw is u^^ed, part or the whole 

 ought to be cut into chaff. It is laborious work to 

 masticate it all, and in time it will tell upon the 

 leeth, which in old horses are ofien worn to the 

 gums, even by hay and corn. 



Bean si raw is totiL'h and woody, and horses 

 soon get tired of it. But I am persuaded that it 

 might be advantageously made into tea. Bean- 

 straw tea is much esieemed as a drink lor milch 

 cows, and if not found equally cooti (or horses, no 

 harm can be done by trying ii. Pea-straw also 

 makes very good tea, but the straw iiself can 

 be entirely consumed as (bilder. The while straw 

 seems to make a very weak infusion. AW the kinds 

 of straw soon grow sapless and brittle. They 

 should be fresh. 



Ham chaff. — The shell which is separated from 

 wheat and oats in thrashing is ofien given to farm- 

 horses. It seems to be very poor wiuff. It looks 

 as if it contained no nutriment, yet it may serve to 

 divide the corn, to make the horse masticate it, 

 and to prevent him from swallowing it too hur- 

 riedly. In this way it may so fiir supply the place 

 of cut fodder. But the barn chaff is usually min- 

 gled with the boiled meat, and if the articles be 

 very soft, the chaff may irive iliem consistence, 

 but it does little more. The covinLf chaH'of beans 

 is said to (brm very good manger meat. 



Jloots. — Potatoes, carrots, and turnips are the 

 roots chiefly used lor feeding horses. Parsnips, 

 mangel-wurtzel, and yams are occasionally em- 

 ployed. 



Potatoes are given both raw and boiled ; in 

 either state they are much relished by all horses 

 as a change from other (bod. They are rather 

 V OL. VIII.— 60 



laxative than olherwise, and especially when 

 given uncooked. Given raw and in considerable 

 quantity to a horse, not accustomed to them, they 

 are almost sure to produce indigestion, when 

 boiled or steamed they are less apt to ferment in 

 the stomach. For horses that do slow, and per- 

 haps not very hard, or long-continued work, po- 

 tatoes may, m a great measure, or entirely, su- 

 persede corn. They are little used for liist-work 

 horses, yet they may be given, and sometimes 

 they are given wiihout any harm. On many 

 (arms they form, along with straw (odder, the 

 whole of the horse's winter (bod.* 



According to Proliissor Low, fifteen pounds of 

 raw potatoes yield as much nutriment as tour 

 and a half pounds of oats. Von Thaer sajs, that 

 three bushels are equal to 112 lbs. of hay. Cur- 

 wen, who tried potatoes very extensively in feed- 

 ing horses, says that an acre goes as IJir as (bur 

 acres of hay. He steamed them all, and allowed 

 each horse diiily, a slone and a half, with a tenth 

 of cut straw which he prelerred to hay (or this 

 mode of feeding. 



The potatoes should be of a good kind, and not 

 frosted. They should always be cooked either 

 by steamiuff or boiling. They are. best when 

 steamed. Horses like them as well raw, but they 

 are excessively flatulent, and this bad property is 

 much corrected by cooking, and by adding some 

 sail. When boiled, the process should be perlorm- 

 ed wiih as liille water as possible. When nearly 

 ready, the water should be altogether withdra\t^n, 

 and the potatoes allowed to dry, uncovered, on 

 the fire (or a lew minutes. They should be put, 

 on with cold water. They are always over-boiled. 

 Horses preler them when hard at the heart. 

 There is a general prejudice against the liquor in 

 which potaioes are boiled. It is said to be injuri- 

 ous. In small quantities it certainly produces no 

 apparent evil. I often see it given, not as a drink, 

 but along with potatoes, beans, and chaff, which 

 are all boiled totret her and mixed into a unilbrm 

 mass, in general loo soft. In some places the 

 potatoes are not washed when boiled. If the earth 

 does not relax the bowels, I am not aware that 

 it does any injury, and the liorses do not appear 

 to dislike it. When the mass, however, from the 

 addition of chaff', requires much masiication, this 

 sand or earth must wear down the teeth very fast. 

 Turnips are in very general use (or farm and 

 cart-horses. Of late ihey have also been used a 

 Great deal in the coaching-stables ; in many they 

 have superseded the carrot. The Swedish varie- 

 ty is preferred. Common white turnips are al- 

 most worthless. According to V"on Thaer, 100 

 pound.s are equal in nutriment to 22 of hay. For 

 slow horses, iurni[)s to a certain extent supersede 

 corn, but (or last- workers, I hey save the hay more 

 than the corn. They have a fine odor when boil- 

 ed, and this seems to make the horse Icrd more 

 heartily. They (iitien the horse very rapidly, and 

 produce a smooth glossy coat and loose skin. 



They are sometimes waslied, sliced, and given 

 raw. but in general they are boiled, and occasion- 

 ally steamed. In the raw state they exciie indi- 



*Butin Essex, farm-horse.ihave been kept through- 

 out the winter entirely upon steamed potatoes. Each 

 horse got fifty pounds per day, and did the ordinary 

 work of the farm with the greatest ease. Some salt 

 was mixed with them, and occasionally a Httle sul- 

 phur, which is quite superfluous. 



