358 THE HORSE. 



lated ; they speedily put botli muscle and fat on the horse that is worn 

 down by labour, and they are almost a specific for hide-bound. Some 

 farmers have thought so highly of lucern as to substitute it for oats. This 

 may do for the agricultural horse of slow and not hard work ; but he 

 from whom speedier action is sometimes required, and the horse of all 

 work, must have a proportion of hard meat within him. 



The Swedish Turnip is an 'article of food the value of whicK has not 

 been sufficiently appreciated, and particularly for agricultural horses. 

 Although it is far from containing the quantity of nutritive matter which 

 has been supposed, that, like the nutriment of the saint-foin and the 

 lucern, seems to be capable of easy and complete digestion. It should 

 be sliced with chopped straw, and without hay. Thirty pounds of the 

 turnip, with two or three quarterns of oats, and six pounds of straw, will 

 be sufficient for a horse of moderately hard work. Hackneys have been 

 kept on them with a less quantity of oats. 



Carrots. — The virtues of this root are not sufficiently known, whether 

 as contributing to the strength and endurance of the healthy horse, or the 

 rapid recovery of the sick one. To the healthy horse they should be given 

 sliced in his chaff. Half a bushel will be a fair daily allowance, and the 

 two pounds of beans, and three pounds of the oats, may be withdrawn. 

 There is little provender of which the horse is fonder. Some farmers 

 allow a bushel of carrots with chaff, and without any oats ; and the horses 

 are said to be equal to all agricultural or slow work. 



Potatoes have been given, and with advantage, in their raw state, 

 sliced with the chaff; but, where it has been convenient to boil or steam 

 them, the benefit has been far more evident. Some have given boiled 

 potatoes alone, and horses, instead of rejecting them, have soon preferred 

 them even to the oat; but it is better to mix them with the usual 

 manger feed, in the proportion of one pound of potatoes to two and a half 

 pounds of the other ingredients. The use of the potato must depend on 

 its cheapness, and the facility for boiling it. Haifa dozen horses would 

 soon repay the expense of a steaming boiler in the saving of provender, 

 without taking into the account their improved condition and capability 

 for work. Ahorse fed on potatoes should have his quantity of water 

 materially curtailed. 



Furze has sometimes been given during the winter months. There is 

 considerable trouble attending the preparation of it, although its plen- 

 tifulness and little value for other purposes would, on a large farm, well 

 repay that trouble. The furze is cut down at about three or four years' 

 growth ; the green branches of that and the preceding year are cut off, 

 and bruised in a mill, and then given to the horses in the state in which 

 they come from the mill, or cut up with the chaff. Horses are very fond 

 of it. If twenty pounds of the furze be given, five pounds of straw, the 

 beans, and three pounds of the oats, may be withdrawn. 



It may not be uninteresting to cc^nclude this catalogue of the different 

 articles of horse food with a' list of the quantities of nutritive matter 

 contained in each of them ; for although these quantities cannot be con- 

 sidered as expressing the actual value of each, because other circum- 

 stances besides the simple quantity of nutriment seem to influence their 

 effect in supporting the strength and condition of the horse, yet many 

 a useful hint may be derived when the farmer looks over the produce 

 of his soil, and inquires what other grasses or vegetables might suit 

 his soil. The list is partly taken from Sir Humphry Davy's Agricultural 

 Chemistry : — 1000 parts of wheat contain 955 parts of nutritive matter ; 

 barley, 920 ; oats, 743 ; peas, 574 ; beans, 570 ; potatoes, 230 ; red beet, 



