14 farmers' and mecha?.ics' journal. 



The loft above my stable contains the machinery for cutting 

 chafT and grinding corn. From this loft each horse has a tunnel 

 of communication with the manger below, and a tub annexed to 

 each tunnel in the loft for mixing the ingredients composing the 

 provender. 



There should be no rack in the stable, because this may tempt 

 the groom to fill it with hay, and thus by overloading the horse's 

 stomach, endanger his wind, to say little of its expense and waste, 

 for it is a well known fact, that if a horse has his rack constantly 

 replenished with hay, he consumes and spoils upwards of 30 lbs. 

 per day. 



The manger with which the tunnel communicates, should have 

 cross-bars, of firm oak, placed at the distance of 10 or 12 inches 

 from each other, to prevent the horse from wasting his provsnder 

 in search of the grain it contains, and this space between the cross- 

 bars, allows the horse plenty of room to take his food. 



The chaff-cutter I make use of, is manufactured by Mr Wilmott, 

 a very ingenious mechanic, who resides about five miles from 

 Taunton, on the road to Wiveliscombe. He also provides corn- 

 bruisers, of the best construction, and any person keeping three or 

 four horses, will save the prime cost of his machinery the first 

 year of its trial, and the horses themselves, thus fed, to use the 

 language of horse keepers, will always be above their work. 



When the provender is thoroughly mixed in the tub, previously 

 weighing out each ingredient, the mixture should be given in small 

 quantities at a time, many times in a day ; and at night, enough is 

 thrown into the tunnel to last till morning. This process will be 

 found of very httle trouble to the groom, who will only have to go 

 into the loft six or eight times a day. As the component parts of 

 the provender are weighed separately for each horse, we are cer- 

 tain he has his just proportion ; and I have hereunto annexed my 

 scale of feeding in four classes, for it sometimes happens that some 

 of the ingredients cannot be procured, and at other times that it 

 may be better to substitute others ; but, whatever grain is given, 

 it should always be bruised, or coarsely ground, and carefully 

 weighed out ; for by weight alone, is it possible to judge of the 

 quantity of farinaceous substances, the horse consumes ; it being 

 well known that a peck of oats varies from seven to twelve pounds ; 

 consequently if the provender were mixed by measure there would 

 be frequently an uncertainty, as to quantity. Wheat varies from 

 16 to 12; Barley from 13 to 10; Peas from 17 to 15; Beans* 

 from 17 to 15 per peck. And as wheat, beans, peas, barley, and 

 oats, are equally good, and of very trifling difference in price when 

 their specific gravity is taken into consideration, 1 am equally in- 

 different which grain I use, but I should always prefer boiled or 

 steamed potatoes, for hard working horses, to be a component in- 

 gredient, whenever they can be procured. 



'* The English horse bean is probably here meant. Ed. 



