184 STABLE ECONOMV. 



or blood horse, not in quick work, fats rapidly on corn, and 

 would doubtless on grains. Where Indian corn is fed ex- 

 clusively, as in the southern states, diseases of the liA'^er are 

 very frequent and fatal, and so are inflammation of the bowels 

 and colic. The mule, in comparison with the blood-horse, 

 has small lungs and liver, and is slow in his paces. He does 

 better on Indian corn, especially if ground with the cob on, 

 and this meal is fed to him. In the training stables of both 

 the south and the north, in this country, little Indian corn is 

 fed and this is cracked coarse like hommony.] 



Barley Dust is rather better than oat dust, but it is fitter for 

 cattle or swine than horses. 



Wheat. — There is a general prejudice against wheat as 

 horse-grain, especially in its raw state. It is supposed to be 

 poisonous ; and without doubt many horses have been destroy- 

 ed by it. Horses eat it very greedily, and are almost sure to 

 eat too much, when permitted. Fermentation, colic, and 

 death, are the consequences ; but these are easily avoided. 

 The grain seems difficult to masticate and also difficult to 

 digest, and colic may be produced more readily by one meas- 

 ure of wheat than by two of oats. I have never known it 

 used to the exclusion of oats, but it is sometimes given in 

 quantities not exceeding four pounds per day, and that divided 

 among five feeds. Given in this quantity and in this way, it 

 does no harm that any other grain will not do ; and it appears 

 perfectly to supply the place of the oats which are withheld 

 for it. For every four pounds of wheat, four pounds, or near- 

 ly four and a half, may be deducted from the ordinary al- 

 lowance of oats. 



Still, unless the use of good wheat renders the feeding 

 cheaper, I do not see that it has any good property to recom- 

 mend it. If a stone of wheat can be bought for less money 

 than a stone of oats or beans, it may form a part of the grain, 

 using it at first very sparingly, and not exceeding the quantity 

 I mention, four pounds per day. A larger quantity may be 

 tried on two or three horses, but as I have not seen it tried 

 to a greater extent, I can not tell what might be the result. 



Wheat should never be given alone. Chaff, straw-chalf is 

 best, serves to divide it, and ensures complete mastication. 

 The wheat mixes better with the chaff when it is flattened 

 between a pair of rollers. 



Boiled wheat is in common use. It is boiled with beans 

 and chaff, and generally forms the last feed, or the last but 

 one, at night. It soon gets sour, and makes the mangers of 



