Foragt 



recourse must be had to purchase. You will then 

 find it well worth while to study the way to judge 

 of the quality of hay. For if you are to obtain the 

 quality you require at about the market price, it 

 is absolutely necessary that you should buy it your- 

 self. No man who wishes to have his horses fit, 

 and to economise, must ever allow a servant to buy 

 anything. Thus the master must be able to judge 

 of the quality of what he buys, and to be able to 

 know for himself what may be the value of stable 

 grumblings. This after all only requires ordinary 

 pains and intelligence. If I am satisfied with what 

 I have bought I pay but little attention to the com- 

 plaints of the groom. That is, I take no great 

 stock of it in my own mind, but I always pay 

 respectful attention outwardly to complaints, 

 because, first, the man is only doing his duty 

 in reporting anything he thinks is wrong, and 

 secondly, if you ask him for proof, and he is 

 really only discontented because he has not 

 made enough out of the purchase, he is very 

 likely to give himself away. 



The following is an instance of this : A certain 

 master bought a considerable quantity of oats from 

 a good sample. They were stored in the granary, 

 and the week's supply served out to the corn bins. 

 " I don't like them last oats, sir, and what's more, 

 the 'orses don't either." 



'^ What's wrong?" enquired the master. 

 Whereupon he was conducted round the stable 

 B 17 



