84 THE ECONOMICS OF FEEDING HORSES 



and we wish to prepare a week's supply for sixty horses, 

 we should multiply each weight by 420 (7 days x 60 

 horses) and reduce the hay to cwts, and the grains to 

 " sacks " or their common measure. All would be 

 weighed and the grains put into their proper bins on the 

 third floor ; the hay would be forked so as to feed the 

 chaff-cutter, and the bran would run directly into the 

 mixing apparatus, as it requires no treatment. 



On the second floor, the hay is cut into chaff or chop 

 and dust is extracted by means of an air draught, the 

 tube of which leads to a special dust-collecting chamber. 

 Before passing into the various crushers, the grains are 

 sifted so that foreign material is removed, and later the 

 corn passes over magnets to remove metallic bodies. 

 Each ingredient now reaches a mixing worm or roller ; 

 the rate at which they do this can be controlled so that 

 various weights in a food are in the right proportions. 

 At the end of the mixing apparatus is a bin to receive the 

 mixture, and from this container on the first floor is a spout, 

 at the end of which sacks can be filled to a given weight. 

 The end of the sacking spout is usually shaped like an 

 inverted Y, so that the mixture can be turned from one 

 bag into another as they fill. 



During its journey to the bag the food has been 

 subjected to different processes, and these must now 

 be considered. It has already been mentioned why 

 chaff-cutting is advisable. The length of the cut pieces 

 should be from | to 1 inch. If chaff is longer, the grain 

 separates out more easily, and no real advantage is 

 gained by having it shorter. 



The value of dust extraction must be great if dusty 

 food has the same effect upon the horse's lungs as it has 

 upon the respiratory organs of men working in the mill. 

 In addition to this injurious effect upon the *' wind," 



