402 MAINTENANCE OF ANIMALS. 



This was a ration which it was the more interesting to try, from 

 the circumstance of Professor Liebig* having come to the conclu- 

 sion, from certain theoretical views, that it must be impossible to 

 keep horses in health and strength upon hay and potatoes exclusively. 

 The experiment was continued for a fortnight : 



Team of No. 1. No. f. Both teams. Mean weight per hone. 



First weighing 4620 4312 8932 1116.5 



Second weighing 4675 4697 9372 1171.5 



In 14 days gain 55 385 440 55.0 



In one fortnight, consequently, the weight of eight horses had in- 

 creased by an aggregate sum of 440 lbs., or 55 lbs. per head — an 

 increase at the rate of, as nearly as possible, 3.9, say 4 lbs. per diem ; 

 and allowing the greatest latitude for error, it seems that we cannot 

 estimate the increase per head at less than 1.76, say If lbs. per 

 diem. The condition of the horses was most satisfactory ; the de- 

 jections were healthy in appearance ; the only inconvenience ob- 

 served was, the considerable bulk of the allowance, and the addi- 

 tional time which had to be given the teams to their meals. This 

 inconvenience was particularl}^ obvious in the case of the older 

 horses. Besides the two experimental lots, other twelve horses 

 were put upon the same regimen, and with the same good effects. 

 The equivalents adopted in the composition of the ration, in this 

 third experiment, may therefore be regarded with perfect confidence 

 as suitable. Experience, indeed, would rather lead us to conclude, 

 that the nutritive power of the potato had been estimated at some- 

 what too low a rate. 



EXPERIMENT IV. 



SUBSTITUTION OF OATS AND STRAW FOR A PORTION OF THE HAY. 



The ration here consisted of: 



Hay 11 lbs. 



Straw 11 " 



Oats 12.1 " 



The horses, having been two days on this diet, were weighed. 

 The experiment was continued for eleven days : 



Team No. 1. No. S. Both teams. Arera^ per hone 



First weighing 4584.8 4348.3 8933.1 1116.7 



Second weighing 4593.6 4352.7 8946.3 lllSi! 



In 11 days gain 8.8 4.4 13.2 1.5 



Under this regimen, consequently, the weight of the teams re- 

 mained very nearly the same as it was before beginning the experi- 

 ment ; still there was something gained. 



In conducting this experiment, we had an opportunity of observing 

 how important it is to habituate the animals to their new regimen 

 before weighing for the first time. Had this precaution been neg- 

 'ected, the result would hav« come out against the ration, for the 

 animals were found, when first entered on it, to weigh together as 

 many as 9372 lbs., and two days afterwards no more than 8933 lbs., 



* Afiictiltaxal chemistry. 



