CHOICE OF A BEDDING. 275 



sand as a bedding, we should be doubly careful to give the 

 horses on it a full allowance of salt in their food. 



COMBINED BEDDING. 



Although, as we have seen, the drainage capability of a 

 bedding material varies inversely as its power of absorption, 

 and vice versa, we can obtain both of these valuable qualities 

 by employing two materials, one being highly absorbent, 

 and the other having good powers of drainage. Thus, a 

 layer of sawdust 4 or 5 in. thick, covered with a sufficiently 

 deep layer of sound wheat straw, would make a nearly perfect 

 bedding. Peat moss would serve the purpose of absorption 

 even better than sawdust ; but it is not so clean, and its dark 

 colour is against it. A combined bedding would probably 

 entail more trouble on the groom than a bedding made from 

 only one substance. 



CHOICE OF A BEDDING. 



In this selection, the question of economy comes largely 

 into play, especially as regards power of absorption ; for 

 although, as we have seen, I Ib. of moss litter, for instance, 

 will absorb four times as much water as I Ib. of wheat straw ; 

 4 Ib. of the latter will absorb as much water as I Ib. of the 

 former. Hence, if we can afford to employ an amount of 

 wheat straw sufficient for soaking-up purposes, we shall get 

 a better bed than we could obtain with moss litter ; because, 

 in other respects, straw is the superior of the two. We may 

 therefore take for granted that it is the best kind of bedding 

 material for stables in the management of which money is 

 not a great object. For economy combined with efficiency 

 though not with " smartness," peat moss has probably most 

 claims to attention, except, perhaps, where sawdust and 

 shavings can be cheaply obtained. Shavings not being dusty, 

 having no tendency to ball in the feet and being more elastic, 



1 8* 



