THE QUALITY OF HAY. 391 



riety are alone advocated. The different classes of meals, 

 herbage, and vegetables used for the purpose of economy, 

 by companies employing fifty or more horses, are not suit- 

 able for fodder in a private stable, as these inferior foods 

 require more labor in preparation than the somewhat higher 

 priced forage, and can only be economically introduced 

 when consumed in large quantities, where a penny a day 

 saved on each horse aggregates a large sum at the expira- 

 tion of a year. Hay, oats, corn, bran, oatmeal, carrots and 

 green forage compose the list of foods needed to keep the 

 carriage or saddle horse in a good state of health. These 

 articles vary greatly in quality, and each supply should be 

 carefully inspected and all that is of inferior quality or under 

 weight rejected. 



THE QUALITY OF HAY. 



Hay may be divided into three varieties, according to the 

 elevation and fertility of the land upon which it is grown. 

 The first is marsh hay, and is practically worthless; the 

 second is low land hay, and is of inferior quality ; the third, 

 upland hay, is by far the best for horses employed to do car- 

 riage or saddle work. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD HAY. 

 PRESENCE OF VARIEITIES OF HERBAGE. 



Fine, hard stalk, Meadow fescue. 



Narrow leaves, Meadow foxtail. 



Greenish tint, Timothy. 



Sweet aroma, Red top. 



Delicate flavor, Crested dog's tail. 



Sap in joints, Cock's foot. 



Morever, good hay must be clean, crisp, free from weeds 



and seeds ; neither " mow-burnt " (i. e., fermented) nor the 



