U2 THEORY OF FEEDING. 



advantage to the horse, supposing that this loss is fully 

 made up by corn. Although, when economy has to be studied, 

 all nutritive loss should be guarded against, I am inclined to 

 think that horses managed on a liberal scale might with 

 advantage have their appetites humoured in this respect, espe- 

 cially when they are hard worked. The change from green to 

 slightly brown hay should of course be made only in the event 

 of the horse preferring the latter to the former. It is probable 

 that with even the best saved hay a certain amount of fermen- 

 tation, which may be so slight as to cause hardly any appreci- 

 able change in the colour of the hay, occurs in all cases when 

 hay has been stacked for some time, and that without it the 

 hay would be wanting in aroma. The conversion of new hay 

 into old hay, appears, therefore, to consist of the further drying 

 of the hay and of the development of flavour ; and in ordinary 

 circumstances it may be considered to be complete by the end 

 of January. Hay, even when stored in the most careful 

 manner, suffers continued nutritive loss from slow chemical 

 changes going on in it, and from the breaking off of its 

 leaves ; and as its fragrant principles are volatile, it becomes 

 less sapid after they have become fully developed. My 

 experience leads me to believe that " new " hay, even in 

 February, is superior to that which is a year older, other 

 conditions being equal. 



Deprivation of water is a well marked advantage gained by 

 corn from keeping. It is evident that the dryer the grain, the 

 more readily will the digestive juices penetrate it, and conse- 

 quently the more easy of digestion it will be. The fact that 

 properly stored corn has been known to retain its vitality for 

 many years, is a proof that it suffers little or no deterioration 

 from careful keeping. Corn which has been stored, even 

 under the most favourable conditions, appears to undergo a 

 certain amount of fermentation, if we may judge by its change 

 of smell, and by the increase of dust in it. Hurtful fermenta- 



