76 THE HORSE. 



from which it is said they derive more nutiiraent 

 than from hay. 



HAY. 



In Scotland, most of the hay used for horses is 

 composed of rye-grass, or rye-grass and clover. The 

 natural hay, which is not very much used here, con- 

 tains several plants. Much of the hay in Scotland is 

 bad. A good deal is grown on poor land, and this is 

 soft, dwarfish, and destitute of nutriment. But hay in 

 general is not well made. In the south it is cured 

 with more skill, and preserved with more care. The 

 best we have in the west of Scotland is procured 

 from Stirlingshire, and is composed of rye-grass and 

 a little clover. 



In England clover-hay stands in high repute for 

 hard-working draught horses. In the market it 

 brings 20 per cent, more than meadow or rye-grass 

 hay. Hard upland meadow hay is preferred for 

 hunters and racers, because, I suppose, they are apt 

 to eat too much of the clover. In Scotland, rye- 

 gi*ass, or a mixture of rye-grass and clover, is consi- 

 dered the best for all horses. Here we have almost 

 no good meadow hay, and most of that made from 

 the natural grasses is hardly worth preserving. 



Good Hay is about a year old, long and large, 

 hard, tough ; its colour inclining to green, rather than" 

 to white ; it has a sweet taste and pleasant smell ; 

 the seed is abundant ; infused in hot water, it pro- 

 duces a rich, dark-coloured tea. The less dust it has 

 about it the better ; but, from the soil, and the way 

 m which hay is made here, it is seldom free from 

 dust. In damp weather hay absorbs much moisture, 

 and weighs a good deal the heavier. 



New Hay is purgative and debilitating. It 

 seems to be difficult of digestion. [American hay 

 is drier and better cured than English, and we be- 



