Of Straw. 367 



it is extremely difficult to save it in any tolerable order, 

 more especially with clover. Its quality also, is much in- 

 jured, when, instead of being put in sheaves, it is spread on 

 the ground, (the practice in many English counties), for the 

 air and dew, tend to injure every species of fodder ( ziz ). 



Bean Straw. If well harvested, this straw forms a very 

 hearty and nutritious kind of food, for working horses and 

 cattle, in the winter season ; but does not answer so well 

 with carriage or saddle horses, being apt to hurt their wind. 

 As bean straw alone is rather dry, a mixture of pease straw, 

 particularly of white pease, which is sweet and nourishing, 

 improves the fodder (** 3 ). 



Pease Straw. The haum of white pease, if cut green, 

 and dried quickly, in the full vigour of its sap, is fodder of a 

 superior quality, and horses will thrive on it nearly as well 

 as on hay. For sheep, this food is so excellent, that on 

 some farms, where they make a part of the stock, pease are 

 sown wholly on their account (* a4 ). The straw of early white 

 pease, applied to sheep, Mr Young observed, was the most 

 valuable return made by straw. Pease haum, sometimes 

 produces a ton and a half per acre, and if well harvested, 

 will sell, according to the price of hay, at from L.4 to L.7, 

 10s. per acre, being often of almost equal value to the grain 

 itself. 



Tare Haum, or Hay. Tares have sometimes produced 

 from ten to twelve tons of green food, which, when dried 

 into hay, were found to be one-fourth part of the weight of 

 the fresh-mown tares, or from two and a half to three tons 

 per acre ; that is, when they are not suffered to stand for 

 seed, but the whole crop is mown, partly for soiling, and 

 partly for hay, which is of the highest quality. When suf- 

 fered to stand for seed, the weight of the hay is still less ( z * 5 ). 

 For the purpose of making the best hay, the crop should be 

 mown, as soon as the blossoms begin to fall off, or the pods 

 to form. They require a continuance of dry weather, to be 

 cured in perfection ; but if well harvested, they are worth 

 from L.8 to L.12 or even L.I 5 per statute acre (* a6 ). 



The rules respecting the consumption of straw in feeding, 

 may be considered as applicable to, 1. Cattle ; 2. Horses ; 

 3. Sheep ; and, 4. To some particulars of a general nature. 

 1. Cattle. Straw, of good quality, may, at the commence- 

 ment of the fattening process, be given to cattle, as an 

 economical mode of feeding them, accompanied by turnips; 

 but in the more advanced stages of that process, hay is so 

 much superior, that it should, if possible, be supplied. If 



