202 A HUNTING CATECHISM 



in regular rotation, the crested dogstail being 

 about the middle, so that if the meadow is cut 

 when this grass is fully in flower, the earlier 

 grasses have not yet begun to seed — when woody 

 fibre begins to form — while the later grasses are 

 just coming into flower, and therefore will not 

 produce more herbage. No herb makes any 

 more growth when once the flowering process is 

 commenced. 



Delicate feeders may be further tempted by 

 having a double-handful (about 1 lb.) of crushed 

 oil-cake, malt, or barley mixed with their corn ; 

 and a horse that is not thriving is often benefited 

 by having a wine-glassful of linseed oil poured 

 daily into the oats, which should then be stirred 

 up until they have absorbed the oil, which they 

 will quickly do. Often plenty of carrots — a 

 bucketful a day — will change a starved-looking, 

 unthrifty horse into a round, muscular, hand- 

 some animal, that its owner can scarcely recog- 

 nise. Rock-salt should always be in each 

 manger, for nothing is more conducive to health 

 than a plentiful supply of salt. 



A horse that is recovering from an illness 

 should always have a tonic for a short time ; and 

 also one that is losing flesh with its work. The 

 tonics usually employed are gentian and camo- 

 mile to promote appetite ; sulphate of iron, or 

 Fowler's solution of arsenic (Liquor Arsenicalis), 

 to redden the blood ; and powdered ginger to 

 give tone to the stomach. By turning up the 

 lips and looking at the gums, it can be seen 

 whether the red corpuscules are deficient in the 

 blood, which will be indicated by the pale, 

 almost white appearance of the gums. Arsenic 

 is a most valuable remedy, but requires care in 



