74 



Soiling, or House Feeding. 



Vol. XI.! 



That a great saving of food is effected by 

 soiling, there can be no doubt ; no one rates 

 it at less than two to one ; many say that 

 three animals, some assert with confidence 

 that four animals, can be well kept upon the 

 produce of land, if soiled, where not more 

 than one could be kept if depastured. The 

 difference, undoubtedly, in this respect, is 

 very great in favour of soiling; but its ex 

 pediency upon the whole, in any given case, 

 will be affected by a variety of local circum- 

 stances. 



The soiling of work horses on a farm is 

 always to be advised. They require the 

 most particular superintendence ; but this 

 can be given to them only when they are 

 near at hand. They should be protected 

 against those extreme changes of tempera 

 ture from which they are likely to suffer if 

 turned into a pasture at night after a hard 

 day's work. They require to have their 

 food prepared for and brought to them ; 

 otherwise much of the time which should be 

 given to sleep and repose, is necessarily de- 

 voted to obtaining their food ; and a horse 

 turned empty at night into a pasture, will 

 be likely to pass a great part of that night 

 in filling his stomach. The same remark 

 applies also to working oxen. It is highly 

 creditable to the English farmers that their 

 work horses are attended to with the most 

 particular and faithful care, as to cleaning, 

 littering, feeding, working, and watering 

 I have referred already to tlie practice of 

 one distinguished farmer, who never allowed 

 his horses to be trimmed, or curried, or 

 housed, against their inclination. He was 

 of opinion, that nature, in this respect, was 

 the best guide; and that she gave the ani 

 mals their thick and matted coat, in winter, 

 when they required it, and it was therefore 

 wrong to deprive them of it; and in the 

 spring she took equal care in divesting them 

 of the covering, which then became oppres- 

 sive and superfluous. There may be some 

 reason in this; but whenever I see either 

 horses or men in this shaggy and wild-bear 

 condition, I cannot help thinking that nature 

 may be somewhat improved upon. It can- 

 not be said of this farmer, however, that he 

 did not give his horses the opportunity of 

 sheltering themselves if so they chose ; for 

 he had warm sheds and open stalls, most 

 amply littered, to which they might have 

 recourse at pleasure. This latter circum- 



known many, which turnerl into the highway by their 

 owners, have become adepts in lettinjr doicn bars — cast- 

 ing off riders, and Icapivg the fence, in search of what, 

 no doubt, it seemed obvious to them, they were sent 

 forth to seek, and which, as their owners knew, they 

 could certainly not obtain on the bare road side.— Eb. 



stance, of leaving them loose, was a feature! 

 in his management much to be commended;! 

 for it seems a great cruelty, though not anj 

 infrequent practice, to tie a hard-working! 

 horse in a close box or stall, with a shortj 

 halter, where he cannot stretch himself, nori 

 lie down but in a constrained position. I 



Nothing, indeed, is more remarkable] 

 throughout England, as far as my observa-l 

 tion has extended, than the care and kind-' 

 ness bestowed upon the horses; excepting' 

 always the omnibus and cab horses in Lon-' 

 don,* who seem, like galley-slaves, to be: 

 sentenced to hard labour as a punishment,! 

 and the hunting horses, who, especially in' 

 what are called steeple chases, which are ini 

 fact only trials of speed under the most un-i 

 favourable circumstances, are subjected to ai 

 severity of usage absolutely barbarous. Il 

 had the pleasure of enjoying the hospitality! 

 of a family of high rank, at whose residence; 

 forty or fifty carriage and hunting horses! 

 were kept, and where it was the custom for' 

 the principal members of the family, andi 

 their guests, to visit, by a covered passage; 

 way, the stables late in the evening, to seej 

 that everything was in order; that the 

 grooms and their respective charges were, 

 in their places, and in proper condition; andi 

 that the noble animals, who contributed soj 

 essentially to their pleasure and comfort,' 

 were duly cared for. The establishment, 

 was a model of neatness and good manage- i 

 ment. I have had the pleasure to find many' 

 a farm stable, where the comfort and health; 

 of its occupants were provided for with a; 

 carefulness equally exemplary. I confess \\ 

 never witnessed such kind, and only properj 

 care bestowed upon these noble animals: 

 without a strong desire that some other j 

 animals employed in the labour of the farm,i 

 certainly not less noble, and whose toil \s' 

 equally severe, were the objects of a similar;; 

 care and kindness. i 



With respect to the soiling of sheep, iti 

 could rarely be practised on any extensive j 

 plan ; but the folding of sheep for fattening, | 

 and with a view to enrich the land in the) 

 fields, where the produce grows, which may j 



* A similar observation applies to our cab and omni- 

 bus horses in this city. Many of them look well, and 

 give a good report of their owners an'l drivers, while 

 the muscular powers of others are obviously too se- 

 verely taxed. This service is at best, very severe upon 

 horses, and humanity as well as interest should prompt 

 the bestowal of every care and attention in the case. 

 These carriages are — we suppose necessarily— made 

 very heavy, and it should be remembered, that with a 

 load of twelve to five and twenty grown persons, they 

 require in their rapid motion, the expenditure of great 

 force.— Ed. 



