THE SWEDE FOR HORSES. 123 



especially if left to run a little too late ; have fed them 

 nothing but hay and Swedish turnips, and have found nothing 

 equal to that feed to bring them up, smooth down their hair, 

 take all the swelling out of their legs, bring a bright look 

 into their eyes and give them a constant and rapid growth. 

 I have now in my possession a horse which I bred myself; he 

 is now thirteen years old, and never in his life, from the first 

 of December until the first of May, has he eaten a quart of 

 corn, or any grain. I undertake to say that he is the best 

 horse in Massachusetts to-day, and that is saying a great deal. 

 If any of you ever read the book prepared by Rev. Mr. 

 Murray, on "The Perfect Horse" (he is known in that book 

 as "Jim"), you will remember a most enthusiastic paragraph 

 w it h regard to "Jim's" performances. I have always found 

 him ready to take me out, either in single or double harness, 

 for a ten-mile drive and back again. He is always ready to 

 work, and never has been lame or sick. This horse is a fair 

 specimen of what can be produced by this way of feeding. I 

 suppose that more than fifty gentlemen, from one end of this 

 State to the other, have come to my stable to look at him, 

 put their hands upon him, and examined him critically in every 

 w r ay, to determine what the result of this method of feeding 

 has been, and he has never been found in such a condition that 

 a practical man would not say that he was in as good con- 

 dition as ever he found an animal to bo in his life. I have 

 iioav on my hands a good many colts, yearlings, part of which I 

 have bred, and some of which I have purchased, which I have 

 brought into good condition this autumn and winter, so far, 

 by the use of Swedish turnips. I recommend them, there- 

 fore, as especially valuable to any man engaged in the busi- 

 ness of raising horses ; a business, my friends, which, when 

 accurately and carefully followed, is as profitable as any 

 branch of business known to the farmer. I do not mean to 

 say it will always succeed ; it is attended with great risks ; but 

 it is one which no intelligent farmer should ever shut out 

 of mind, especially on the hilly pastures and among the good 

 springs of certain sections of Massachusetts. 



For milch cows I assure you that half a bushel of Swedish 

 turnips, properly fed, at proper times, not continuously, will 

 make more milk than a half bushel of any other roots I have 



