System at the Londonderry Collieries. 85 



It too often occurs also,, when no appetite 

 exists, it is paraded continually before the creature, 

 and lies in the manger fouling the wood- work 

 by fermentation, which the animal shows his re- 

 pugnance to by standing as far back as his chain 

 will allow. 



SYSTEM PURSUED AT THE LONDONDERRY 

 COLLIERIES. 



The horses and ponies employed at the 

 collieries of the late Marchioness of Londonderry 

 (now Earl Vane's), during my appointment as 

 Veterinary Surgeon to her Ladyship, and subse- 

 quently for a short period to the Earl, were fed 

 upon oats and peas five parts of the former to 

 one of the latter. The mixture was, however, 

 never regulated by weighing. It was quite of an 

 extemporary character, and entire guess work, a 

 dash of peas being hastily put into the bottom of 

 a "poke" and afterwards covered to the top with 

 bruised oats, and the whole then weighed. In 

 addition, hay, and green food in summer, was 

 allowed, the cost of which I find by returns in 

 my possession, amounted to \ 3s. lOJc?. per 

 horse per pay, all ponies being classed as two 

 equal to one horse. 



Under this arrangement 106 horses and 322 

 ponies exclusively employed in producing coal, 

 and of course below ground principally, would in 

 round numbers give 267 horses, the cost of feed- 

 ing each being 31 Os. 9d. per annum. 



