ANIMALS AND THEIR PRODUCTS. 117 



horses, working oxen, fattening cattle, and milch 

 cows should have about as much as thej will eat. 

 The farmer who undertakes to winter more stock than 

 is consistent, giving the best of hay very plentifully to 

 all these classes of animals, diminishes thereby his 

 profits. A little of such hay should also be given 

 daily to dry cows and stock cattle. It tends to make 

 them hardy, and by means of it, they are rendered ca- 

 pable of thriving with poorer fare for a large part of 

 their living. In some cases it may be good economy 

 to give a less nutritious quality of hay to horses and 

 working oxen. Hay for these may be later-cut and 

 coarser. The most important requisite is, that it 

 should be clean, bright, and perfectly well cured. 

 Horses especially should have no hay put before them 

 from which the least smoke or dust arises when it is 

 handled, as it often gives them a disease of the lungs, 

 called the heaves. 



208. Second-rate hay, such as grows on poor land, 

 or may have been washed by rains, or have been 

 heated in the mow, is less nourishing, and should be 

 given to dry cows and stock cattle. When fed to 

 them in the manger, they will eat it clean and thrive 

 very well, if furnished daily with a little first-rate hay 

 to keep them in heart; or if, instead of this, they be 

 treated daily to a quart or two of Indian meal, or one 

 or two pecks of turnips. A great fault in the expend- 

 ing of second quality hay is that of keeping cattle on 

 this alone. They should have something more juicy 

 and nutritious for a part of their living. Those who 

 have much second-rate hay should be observant of its 



