ARTICLES USED AS FOOD. 469 



new liay is sixty pounds per truss till the 4th of September. 

 The truss of old hay contains only fifty-six pounds. 



New Hay is purgative and debilitating. It seems to be 

 difncult of digestion. [American hay is drier and better 

 cured than English, and we believe that it contains more sac- 

 charine matter ; these observations, therefore can hardly ap- 

 ply to it.] The horse is fond of it, and will eat a large quan- 

 tity, much of which passes through him little altered by the 

 digestive process, and probably retaining a good deal of its 

 nutrinjent. On the other hand, hay which is very old is dry, 

 tasteless, and brittle. The horse rejects much and eats lit- 

 tle. Old hay is much recommended ; but by old I suppose 

 is meant not new. In the south, perhaps, stacked hay does 

 not so soon degenerate as in the north, where it is certainly 

 old enough in one year. 



Hiatfd Hay, sometimes termed mowburnt, is that which 

 has undergone too much fermentation. In curing hay it is 

 thrown in a heap to sweat, that is, till a slight degree of fer- 

 mentation takes place, which is arrested by exposing the hay 

 to the air. This, it appears, is necessary for its preservation 

 in the stack. But sometimes the process is carried too far, 

 or, more frequently, it is re-excited, after the hay is stored 

 past. Hay that has been thus injured is not all alike. Some 

 of it acquires a very sweet sugary taste ; and this portion is 

 eaten ; some of it is changed in color to a dark brown, and 

 has its texture altered ; it is short, brittle as rotten wood, and 

 has a disagreeable taste ; this portion seems to be rejected ; 

 another portion of the same stack is mouldy, stinking, quite 

 rotten, and no horse will eat this. All kinds of hay, however 

 good originally, may suffer this injury. When the damage 

 has been slight, most horses will eat certain portions of the 

 hay very greedily ; they seem to be fond of it for the first 

 week, but subsequently it is rejected in disgust. Upon the 

 whoL', I believe it is the most unprofitable fodder that horses 

 can receive. When very bad it is dear, though obtained in a 

 gift, for it often does much mischief, particularly to horses of 

 fast-work. Much is wasted, and that which is eaten does 

 little good. It is almost as poisonous as it is nutritious. Slow 

 draught-horses may not, indeed, be greatly injured by it. But 

 good wheat-straw may be better. To fast, hard-working 

 horses, such as those employed in mails, it is a strong diu- 

 retic ; and its diuretic power does not diminish by use. Hay 

 forms an important part of the horse's food, particularly of 

 those horses that receive no roots nor boiled meat. Bad 



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