568 A HISTORY OF THE PERCHEEON HORSE 



need of feeding bran or other purchased mill feeds 

 when a good quality of alfalfa hay can be grown on 

 the farm. Alfalfa hay, because of its high protein 

 and mineral content, especially calcium, is suited 

 to grow the heavy muscles and large, strong bones 

 which are necessary for the real drafter. A greener, 

 leafier quality of hay was fed to these fillies than 

 usually gives the best results when fed to hard- 

 worked horses. In the case of these growing fillies 

 it was not found necessary, as is the case with ma- 

 ture animals, to- limit- tie amx)unt. of, alfalfa hay 

 which was fed. Furthermore, when alfalfa hay is 

 the roughage used, a considerable proportion of the 

 grain ration, in this trial one-half by weight, may 

 be corn, the grain grown in greatest quantity in the 

 middle west.- 



' ' From this and similar trials it seems quite clear 

 that in addition to liberal grain-feeding to growing 

 drafters, which is admittedly necessary and import- 

 ant, the development of size and quality of bone is 

 also intimately associated with the grazing on pas- 

 ture of nutritious grasses and clovers, and the feed- 

 ing of good legume roughages during seasons when 

 such pasture is not available. In this test desirable 

 growth was made on pasture which was not fully 

 indicated by the weights of the fillies. On most 

 farms the use of more pasture than was available 

 in this trial would be of advantage. A grain feed 

 of approximately V2 of a pound of grain per day 

 to the hundredweight of filly seems to be enough 

 to produce proper development on pasture. 



"Since, as the experiment showed, 45.35 bushels 

 of corn, 79.36 bushels of oats, 2.58 tons of alfalfa, 

 and % of an acre of good pasture kept an individual 

 of the kind used in thrifty and salable condition 

 from the fall of the year in which it was foaled 



