112 HUNTING 



times by the ton. The measures are 

 these — 



A truss of old hay = 56 lbs. 



A load of old hay = 36 trusses or 18 cwt. 



A ton of old hay = 40 trusses. 



The price varies, so the purchaser should 

 consult the corn market quotations in his 

 daily paper, but the average price is £5 per ton. 

 The hay should be of a light colour, as nearly 

 -as possible the colour which it was when first 

 stacked, and not a rich blackish-brown colour. 

 The latter colour denotes that the hay has 

 been overheated. It should contain a fair 

 mixture of grasses and flowers, smell sweet, 

 and its texture should be soft, not brittle. 

 A hunter in condition should be allow^ed 

 ten pounds per diem, or even less, according 

 to the work he is doing, but its total allow- 

 ance of hay and oats should be twenty-two 

 pounds. Hay should be stored in the centre 

 of the loft, and not against the walls, for if 

 stored against the walls it is apt to get hot 

 and damp, and lose condition. 



2. Oats. — Black oats, whether English or foreign, are 

 preferable to white oats. A few grey oats 

 are grown in England which are better than 

 either the black or white, but they are both 

 difficult to procure and more expensive. Oats 

 are sold by the quarter, and the measures 

 are these — 



