Economy of Food. 73 



exception, and I bought foreign oats principally, 

 being in a superior condition to English. In 

 addition to the above which is the winter scale, 

 the summer is somewhat reduced we every 

 Saturday night give each horse a mash of linseed 

 mixed with a small proportion of bran, boiled 

 altogether and given warm. 



" This serves to lubricate and clear the bowels, 

 and comforts the animals. I do not know whether 

 that is the cause ; but since its adoption we have 

 had few, if any, cases of colic, or severe inflam- 

 mation ; prior to the adoption of that system 

 these cases were of great occurrence/' 



It must be borne in mind that these are heavy 

 horses, and we have here also an evidence from 

 an unprejudiced source, that a considerable 

 amount of nutritious matter is required to keep 

 up the health and condition of the animals, since 

 when the inferior kinds of mixture were sup- 

 plied, in the shape of oats principally, disease was 

 common. This I can testify, having been in pro- 

 fessional attendance. 



We are also taught practically that a loss of 

 condition and proneness to disease is brought 

 about by food containing too little nutrition, 

 when the demands upon the system are excessive. 



to Scotch oats, but as a distinction to foreign and inferior kinds. 

 The writer is keenly alive to the qualities of the various kinds of 

 corn, having had unlimited experience in the feeding and manage- 

 ment of the best draught horses in large numbers, and doing the 

 hardest work. 



