GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF HORSES 29 



After grass is cut for hay it parts with about three- 

 fourths of its weight by evaporation, but whilst it is 

 lying on the field it undergoes no chemical changes. When 

 it is in the stack the starch contained in the grass is, by 

 the action of the heat, converted into sugar. In making 

 hay early mowing should be practised, i.e. when the grass 

 is young and before the seeds have formed in the flower 

 heads. 



If the hay is cut when it is young it is more 

 digestible and of higher quality. If the weather continues 

 to be wet when hay has been cut allow it to lie on the 

 ground without disturbing it, otherwise the grass stems 

 are very liable to be broken. The stems of all grasses are 

 protected by siHca, which forms a protective mantle for 

 them, and if this is broken by tossing the grass about wet 

 enters the stems and irreparable damage is done. The 

 most economical method of feeding hay to horses con- 

 sists in cutting it up, but horses require the use of a 

 bulky food, so that a certain amount of hay should be 

 given uncut. Most of the samples of Scottish hay consist 

 of perennial rye grass, which flowers in May and June. 

 The stems of this grass grow to one or two feet in height, 

 and either alone or in combination with other grasses it 

 makes a first-class hay. It differs from the Italian rye 

 grass by the fact that the latter has long awns to its 

 flower in bloom, whereas the awn is practically absent in 

 the perennial rye grass. One of the worst grasses, and 

 certainly one of the least nutritious, is that known as 

 Yorkshire fog, and its presence in a pasture is an indica- 

 tion of the poor condition of the soil. The smooth stalk 

 meadow grass flowers in June and early in July, and it 

 adds to the value of hay considerably, a remark which is 

 equally applicable to the cock's-foot, provided that the 

 latter is cut before it is allowed to grow too coarse. A 

 sparing amount of clover adds to the value of hay, and 

 horses relish it all the more when it contains this. Sain- 

 foin hay and clover hay are generally on the market, and 



