Management of Farm-Horses. 
271 
for 100 lbs. of beans; so that it appears that though the nutri- 
ment contained in beans is one-fourth more than that contained in 
haj, yet when the flesh-making constituents are required it is a 
somewhat cheaper source than oats, and still more concentrated. 
If, however, beans are given very freely they have a very heating 
or stimulating effect ; the blood abounds too much with fibrine, 
and inflammatory swellings of the limbs and the absorbent 
vessels occur, so that beans require to be given with moderation 
and caution, and are principally of service when horses are 
severely worked, in which case they are given with advantage in 
combination with oats, and in the proportion of one-third or one- 
half the weight in beans. When oats are very dear and beans are 
moderate in price there is, of course, a disposition to substitute 
the one for the other, and it is thought that if combined with 
bran their injurious elFects may be obviated. This, however, is the 
case only to a certain extent : beans are very astringent in their 
nature, whilst bran, from its mechanical effects, is relaxing, and so 
far these substances supply each other's deficiencies : also with 
regard to fat, with which bran abounds and beans are deficient. 
In other respects beans and bran closely resemble each other, 
both abounding with albuminous elements, whilst beans as com- 
pared with oats are deficient in starch, &c., and in'bran scarcely 
any exists, so that these two substances are not capable of supply- 
ing each other's deficiencies. The writer experienced this fact 
during the last year, when in consequence of the excessive price 
of oats he endeavoured to substitute a bushel of beans and a 
bushel of bran for 2 bushels of oats, but it was soon found that 
the horses did not do so well on this diet. 
With regard to the use of roots as food for horses, there is only 
one that can with any advantage be employed, viz., carrots, for 
we find that horses altogether refuse mangold-wurzel and com- 
mon turnips, and will eat only a very moderate quantity of swedes. 
I am inclined to think, however, that the merits of carrots have 
been greatly overrated when they have been sold at such prices as 
40^. to 50s. per ton for the purpose of feeding horses. Let us 
endeavour to see, however, whether carrots are adapted to supply 
the place of oats and beans. We may, I think, consider that an 
average-sized cart-horse will require daily, when moderately 
worked, between 16 and 17 lbs. of the best hay, — 
starch, S:c. Fat. Albumen, &c. 
Best hay, between 16 and 17 lbs., containing 6-66 -66 1*5 
Oats 10 lbs 4-6 '5 1- 1 
Making together 11 •26 1 • 16 2-6 
So that to obtain each of these ingredients respectively, it would 
be necessary for the horse to eat daily — 
