Stalk Management. 63 



advantages are eminently ours, seeing that we can 

 supply all that the husk contains in the form of chaff at 

 a much lower cost. If select condition is required con- 

 jointly with power and endurance, the best of all kinds 

 of food is practically the cheapest. 



Great stress is laid upon the necessity for the best 

 food, cost what it may, for the feeding of race-horses and 

 hunters, whose appetite is said to be " the measure of 

 their corn." With them it is " the pace that kills," and 

 happily they are allowed long intervals for recuperation 

 of the vital powers, or food ceases to be the source of 

 strength. Hacks and carriage horses, however, seldom 

 are allowed more than three or four quarterns a day 

 of English oats ; and if they have, instead of these 

 heavy oats, one quartern more of Irish or Welsh, they 

 will do much better. The difference is still greater if 

 it is between half a peck of English and three quarterns 

 of Irish, because most horses like to have their stomachs 

 tolerably filled with their corn, which Xalf a quartern at a 

 feed scarcely will do. Now, when English oats are at $s. 6d. 

 per bushel, Irish oats are generally about 2 s. ; and conse- 

 quently, three quarterns of the Irish may be given for the 

 same price as two of the English, which exactly accords 

 with the calculation I have made above. In purchasing 

 Irish oats, care should be taken that they are free from 

 stones, or, if they are mixed with them, they should be re- 

 moved before being given, by examining the sieve contain- 

 ing them. This is the worst feature in this kind of corn, 

 and sometimes exists to a great extent. Beans are of all 

 qualities, from the best English to the Egyptian ; but as a 

 general rule, for private stables I fancy the English answer 

 the best. They are used more as a stomachic than as re- 

 gular food, and for that purpose quality is of more impor- 

 tance than quantity. In cart stables, or for coaching or 

 fly-work, foreign beans may be used, but I have never my- 

 self found them answer my purpose well. By purchasing 

 Irish oats of the importers at Liverpool, London, or Glou- 

 cester, an immense reduction in price is effected ; and they 

 may readily be conveyed by rail to most parts of England 

 at one penny. to twopence per bushel extra. 



