ECONOMY OF FARMING. 



POTATOES. 



5 horses, 182 days at 50 lbs. each, 45 000 lbs., or 18 tons at 40s. X36 Os. Od. 

 Washing and steaming at 2d. per 100 lbs 3 15 



3 bushels of salt at 2s 6 



Sulphur, 026 



£40 4 6 = $177 

 71 10 



Balance in favor of potatoes, . . . X31 5 8 = $138 



Another estimate is, that 42 lbs. of potatoes and about 10 lbs. of straw without any 

 oats is sufficient, except when the horses are employed on the road. 



Respecting carrots as a food for horses, Mr. Curwen says that, " when from 8 to 

 12 lbs. of oats are allowed to a work-horse per day, according to its employment, 



4 lbs. may be deducted for 5 lbs. of carrots, and the spirit, condition, and ability of 

 the horse be improved by the same." " Other accounts state a bushel of carrots to 

 be given daily instead of oats." Again, elsewhere, " horses are fed on carrots with 

 sometimes hay, and sometimes corn, and sometimes with only straw ; viz., 



6 horses ; 2 loads of 40 bushels per week, no corn, and little hay. 



" " 1 load with corn in the spring-time, and little hay, 



" " 72 bushels per week, no oats, and half the usual allowance of hay. 



The horses are said to be in a superior condition than when fed on oats." " In Sur- 

 rey, where carrots are extensively cultivated, a team of 4 good horses gets about 60 

 bushels per week until Christmas, with plenty of chaff or clover-hay but no corn, and 

 after that 40 bushels are given with 2 bushels of oats, and a sufficiency of chatf." A 

 mixture of 4 lbs. of boiled potatoes and 4 lbs. of bran, at each feed is also recom- 

 mended. 



As respects the boiling or steaming food, its importance is seen from the fact, that 

 " it takes a horse from three to four hours to masticate one stone of hay, but a mash 

 of potatoes of double that weight may be eaten in 40 minutes." Potatoes it is said 

 lose about -^ of their weight by the evaporation of the water when steamed, or about 

 I if kiln-dried or baked. It is even said that it has been ascertained, that a bushel 

 of oats boiled will maintain a horse in better condition than two in the common way. 

 In another instance, the estimate for horses is daily in winter 15 lbs. of haj^ 10 lbs. 

 of straw, and 8 lbs. of oats, and after every feed a bucket of water richly whitened 

 with rye or oatmeal. The cavalry allowance for horses in barracks in the British 

 army daily, is stated to be 12 lbs. of hay and 10 lbs. of oats ; but it is said that a 

 common cart-horse required not less than 28 or 30 lbs. of the same food. The fol- 

 lowing is recommended, the ingredients being divided into 4 classes, as food for 

 horses : — 



4th. 



Bruised or ground beans, peas, or v^rhite corn, . 5 lbs. 5 lbs. 10 lbs. 5 lbs. 



Hay cut into chaff 



Straw" « " . 



Steamed potatoes 



Malt dust or ground oil-cake 



Brewer's grains . . . . . 6 " — — — 



Bran _ _ _ 7 c« 



And 2 oz. of salt to each. 30 30 30 30 



The following food is said to answer well for 8 horses daily : 1 bushel of beans ; 

 1 bushel of oats ; 1 bushel of hay and straw, cut into chaff. Of several farm-horses 

 also it is stated, " When no beans are grown, their winter food is oat-straw or hay ; 

 but in all other cases, bean-straw alone forms their winter provender, from grass to 

 grass ; with a mess every night of bean-chaff, potatoes or turnips, and a little small- 

 corn, all boiled together and seasoned with salt, and two feeds of oats per day, but 

 only when hard worked." 



Mr. Stephens, Editor of the Gluarterly Agricultural Journal, and Author of the 

 Farm-Book, mentions that a large coach-proprietor in Edinburgh, supports his 

 coach-horses on 8 lbs. of chopped-straw, and 16 lbs. of bruised oats ; and that another 



