STRAW AS FORAGE. 351 



beams of the barn. It would not do to put many of them 

 together, as the least fermentation spoils them. They 

 have to sweat as well as hay, but the dampness arising 

 must have every opportunity to evaporate. I would feed 

 them alternately with hay, as blades in the forenoon and 

 hay at night, though I have known horses that would do 

 better on the corn blades alone. I also prefer to use them 

 before a race, trial, or sweat, as they seem to be advan- 

 tageous to the action of the lungs, probably not so much 

 from occupying a smaller space in the stomach, and thus 

 not interfering with the diaphragm, but also by a differ- 

 ence in their chemical constituents. 



That there is greater freedom of breathing, when using 

 one kind of food over another, is well known. Mr. Spal- 

 ding, the celebrated diver, before the discovery of marine 

 armor, found that his diet had a sensible effect on the 

 consumption of air in the diving-bell. I lament the want 

 of a knowledge of chemistry, which would greatly aid me 

 in forming correct oppinions on this point, and in default 

 of that knowledge, can only state the result of experience, 

 without being able to deduce the reasons why the differ- 

 ence should exist. Lord Seymour, who did so much to 

 establish racing in France, trained his horses on straw for 

 forage, and was very successful in gettting them in order. 

 I have tried it with some horses that were habitually 

 costive, with good results. I cut it in a straw-cutting ma- 

 chine and mixed it with the grain, a portion in the feed 

 after the morning's exercise, and the balance at night. By 

 being mixed, the grain was better masticated than other- 

 wise, though this can always be accomplished by making 

 the horse eat with a large bar bit in his mounth. Prairie 

 hay I have heard highly extolled by some of those who 

 had made trips into the section of country where its use 

 was general, but having no personal acquaintance, I can 

 say nothing about it. 



