THE PEECHEEON HOESE. 85 



way of buying be not so dear, it is likewise not so sure, 

 unless the purchaser be acquainted with honest dealers, 

 accustomed to bring in only good colts. x 



There is but little trouble taken in weaning the colts. 

 This passage from one period of life to another, always 

 so serious with thoroughbred colts, takes place quite sim- 

 ply with the future field laborers. They wean themselves 

 in the trip from their birthplace to their new destination. 

 The farmers in the neighborhood of Kogmalard, who 

 ordinarily buy them very young, give a little cow's milk 

 on their arrival, to strengthen them, and to serve as a 

 transition ; but even this method is far from universal. 



The colts, when they come upon the farms, are put live 

 or six together, pell-mell, into an indifferently ventilated 

 stable, which receives its light through a lattice door. 

 Their nourishment consists of a very thin mush, made of 

 barley flour and bran, frequently renewed. The solid 

 portion of their food is composed of dry clover and hay, 

 with which their cribs are regularly filled. 



Some farmers feed aftermath, which is sweeter; but as 

 this is apt to load the stomach, in order to render it more 

 easily digested, it is mixed with oat-straw. 



It is very rare that these colts, changed from one district 

 to another, often making long stages, and exposed to the in- 

 clemencies of the weather, are not attacked with strangles. 

 Many raisers at this period have the pernicious habit of 

 giving them some kind of grain, in order to warm them up, 

 and cause them to throw oif the disease. But this food 

 has the fault of thickening the blood too much, and ex- 

 poses them to numerous ailments. 



This diet is continued until the spring, at which time 

 the colts are given green fodder in the stable. Later, 

 they are turned into the clover fields after the first cut, or 

 into the meadows after they are mowed. 



At eighteen months they commence their apprentice- 

 ship ; passing their -necks through the collar, they are har- 



