FEEDING. 24: 



half being the customary thing with horses who would 

 otherwise get through the full quantity of raw material, — 

 and herein lies the saving, for the satisfying bulk of the 

 food taken at a meal is largely increased by cooking, while 

 every particle of it goes to the nourishment of the animal's 

 frame : a thing which is certainly not the case when the 

 substance is partaken of in its raw state. 



The water in which corn has been boiled ought never by 



any means to be thrown away ; it sometimes is, by careless 



or ignorant grooms, but the pity and wastefulness are very 



great, for it is most admirable and nourishing for drinking 



purposes, as well as for other stable uses. 



■ To secure the purchase of good oats, buy them by 



measurement, and not by weight. An excellant sample 



will weigh from 30 to 36 pounds to the bushel — a prime 



one ought to weigh from 45 to 48 — and this, be it observed, 



will, when denuded of the chaff, yield scarcely more than 



35 of pure grain. It is great nonsense to talk about the 



advisability of purchasing black, golden, or white oats ; all 



three may be very good or very bad of their kind, and it is 



in reality only the chaff that is coloured, the kernel of each 



being of one tint. Sound oats ought to be dry, and very 



hard ; they should chip asunder when crushed — not have 



anything of a torn appearance — and should be perfectly 



scentless. The less bearded they are the better. I strongly 



object to kiln-dried oats for horses, although many sellers 



resort to the practice by way of expelling moisture from 



new grain. I conceive it to be a thoroughly unwholesome 



process, taking into account the fact that sulphur is frc- 



