412 BEDDING. 



RYE AND WHEAT STRAW. 



Rye straw is to be preferred in point of appearance to all 

 other forms of bedding, but its use in most stables is barred 

 owing to its high cost. 



Wheat straw is the best for the average well conducted 

 establishment. Owing to a self-evident fallacy, it is com- 

 monly supposed that the use of long pieces of straw, such as 

 are found in wheat and rye, is more economical than short 

 straw, such as oat or barley. The straw itself lasts longer, 

 being less apt to mat down, but when one end becomes wet 

 and soiled the entire piece has to be thrown away, whereas 

 with oat straw much less of the unsoiled is lost. When 

 economy has to be practised, it will be found advisable to 

 avoid the use of either rye or wheat straw. Oat straw should 

 be of secondary choice in luxuriously kept stables, though it 

 is by no means an undesirable form of bedding. 



PEAT MOSS. 



Peat moss is a natural product which is being introduced 

 to take the place of straw as bedding. It can be used to ad- 

 vantage in summer or for wintering horses not in use, but it 

 is advisable to give a horse in hard work the warm clean 

 bed that straw affords. It is cool, soft and requires less 

 attention than straw. It is estimated that one ton of moss 

 is equal to two tons of straw. One stall requires a little 

 less than one bale. Box stalls require about a bale and a 

 half. Peat moss is sold in bales of about three hundred 

 pounds and costs $io per ton in New York, 6 bales to 

 the ton. 



SHAVINGS. 



Shavings are used where economy has to be practised, 

 and are inferior to the other forms of bedding mentioned. 



