Management of Farm-Horses. 
269 
From this table it will be perceived that the nutritious part of 
food consists of three portions, the nitrogenized or flesh-making 
elements — the fat — and the gum, sugar, and starch. In estimating 
the relative value of horse food, I propose to consider separately 
the value of each of these kinds, and in so doing to take clovcr-hay 
for our standard of comparison : — 
Clover-hay then contains of starch, gum, and sugar, 40 lbs. 
„ fat .... 4 
„ „ albumen, &c. , . 9 ., 
Making of nulvitious elements 53 parts in 100 
If we value these 53 lbs. of nutriment at \d. each, we still find 
that it will bring the value of the hay to 4s. bd. per 100 lbs., or 
about 5/. per ton, which is pretty nearly the truth for the best 
ha}'. It does not, howevei', seem fair that the starch, &c. should 
be valued so high as albumen, as, if we seek for a larger propor- 
tion of the latter in any food, we are obliged to pay a higher price 
for it. I shall therefore assume that the value of albumen, &c. 
is 50 per cent, higher than that of starch, and as fat is also a . 
somewhat rare and costly product and of much value in food, I 
shall place that at the same rate as albumen, so that, estimating it 
in this way, we bring the value of the hay to 5Z. 12*k 6(Z. per ton ; 
or, if this is thought too high, we can reduce the value of the 
starch one-eighth, which will bring back the price of the hay to 
about bl. per ton. It will be fairer, however, to take 5/. 125. 6f/. 
per ton as the value of such hay, for I am inclined to think that 
the nutritive contents of hay, as compared with other food, have 
been somewhat overrated. It must be borne in mind that the 
amount of nourishment extracted from hay varies extremely with 
the digestive powers of the horse, for whilst some with great 
digestive powers will extract the greater part of the nutriment, in 
others with weaker capabilities not more than one-half will be 
a.ssimi]ated. All herbivorous animals, however, require a tolerable 
amount of bulk in their food so as to distend the stomach and 
bowels to a certain degree by which the digestive processes are 
properly carried on, so that whilst a horse can, not only exist but 
jiertorm a moderate amount of work with hay only, he could not 
do so if kept entirely on oats and beans. If a horse is required to 
be kept in idleness it is no doubt cheaper to feod him on hay alone, 
for he will be able to eat a sufficient quantity, so as to extract 
from it the requisite amount of nutriment. When, however, he is 
called upon to work he requires at least double or treble the propor- 
tion of the muscle-making elements of food ; to obtain which, if hay 
were his only diet, he would require far more than the power of 
his digestive organs would dispose of, besides which such a mass 
of food would produce such mechanical pressure on the chest as to 
obstruct respiration, and would also demand a much greater 
