BREEDS OF HORSES 65 



to be improved ; a little linseed meal in the ration seems to favor tlie 

 easy shedding of the old coat, and to produce quickly a lustrous 

 new coat. (Agr. Dep. F. B. 170.) 



Forage Crops. The leguminous forage crops, as alfalfa, clover, 

 cowpeas, soy-beans, etc., are richer in protein than grasses. When 

 the forage crops are dried and cured the resulting hay is rich in pro- 

 portion to its bulk, and therefore should be fed more sparingly than 

 timothy hay. The value of different forage crops, both fresh and 

 cured, depends considerably upon the stage of growth at the time 

 of harvesting. Generally speaking, the nutritive value of the whole 

 crop increases until the growth of the whole crop is completed, but 

 if the crop is harvested before it is mature, the resulting forage will 

 be richer in protein than if the cutting were delayed until the plants 

 were mature. In this connection, it should be stated that the con- 

 sumption of protein in the food determines quite largely the amount 

 of water consumed by the animal; consequently the use to which 

 the animal is put will often determine quite largely the amount of 

 protein it should consume. Green crops, hay, straw, and other 

 cured crops, are frequently spoken of as coarse fodder" or "rough- 

 age." This term is due to the fact that they contain a compara- 

 tively small amount of nourishing material and the large proportion 

 of indigestible crude fibre as compared with their total bulk or 

 weight. Although inferior to concentrated feeds in composition, 

 they are an essential part of the ration for horses and other farm, 

 animals serving to give the required bulk to the food. It is believed 

 that unless the food when taken into the stomach is comparatively 

 bulky and the mass more or less loose in structure, it will not be as 

 readily acted on by the digestive juices. (Agr. Dep. F. B. 170.) 



Roots and Tubers. Carrots, turnips, beets, parsnips and other 

 roots and tubers contain a high percentage of water and small 

 amounts of nourishing elements. It must be admitted however that 

 these roots and tubers have a feeding value when given in connec- 

 tion with other feeds in excess of the digestible compounds which 

 they contain. They have a beneficial effect on the general health of 

 the animal and aid in the digestion of their food. Ten pounds of 

 roots has been suggested as the maximum quantity which may be 

 safely fed to the average work horse. Potatoes are sometimes fed 

 successfully, particularly to colts. The practice of feeding potatoes 

 to work horses is more prevalent in Germany than in this country. 

 (Agr. Dep. F. B. 170.) 



Cooked and Raw Foods. The investigations that have been 

 made to compare cooked and raw feed do not sustain the practice 

 of cooking. It has not been shown that cooking makes the food 

 more digestible, except possibly in a few instances. Several cases 

 have been noted, however, that showed that there had been a some- 

 what marked advantage as to palatability. The cost of cooking is 

 not usually made up for by the increased value of the ration. Some 

 hard grains may be improved by cooking but the cereals that are 

 ordinarily used in compounding rations for horses are not improved 

 from the standpoint of digestibility. 



