267 
BOTANY AS APPLIED TO VETERINARY SCIENCE. 
By W. Watson, M.R.C.V.S., Rugby. 
[Continued from p. 149.) 
Having made ourselves acquainted with this subject, we 
cannot fail to be struck with the wide field of improvement 
that is open to the agriculturist; and it would be well to 
avail ourselves of every opportunity to impress upon him the 
importance of paying more attention to the quality rather 
than the quantity of the grasses he cultivates, especially as 
food for horses. Much, also, as regards their nutritive value, 
will depend upon their proper management, particularly 
when made into hay. 
The grasses should be cut down for that purpose when 
they contain the most nutriment, and that is, at the 
time when they first commence to flower. They have at 
that period generally attained their full growth, and contain 
the largest amount of the nutritious principles, starch, gum, 
&c., in their leaves and stems. If allowed to remain until 
their seeds ripen, the stems contain little beside dry undi- 
gestible woody fibre, the chief nutrient principles being then 
concentrated in the seeds. After being cut, the grass should 
be allowed to lie a short time, during which fermentation goes 
on, and then dried as quickly as possible, so as to check undue 
fermentation and remove the excess of water; afterwards it 
should be placed in the stack, and allowed to remain for about 
twelve months, during which period more moisture will be 
removed, and the fermentation, which has been slowly going 
on, attains its maximum. It is in this condition that hay is 
most fitted for all classes of horses. Horses generally appear 
to have a great relish for recently made hay ; hut it frequently 
proves injurious to them, producing indigestion, diarrhoea, 
&c., partly owing to the large amount of water it contains, 
and also to the fermentative action which is going on in it. 
When hay is put together before the moisture is sufficiently 
dried out, we get excessive fermentative action set up; great 
heat is evolved, and the dark-coloured, mow-burnt, or heated 
hay is produced. Or during a wet season it may be put toge¬ 
ther too damp, and become affected by vegetable growths in 
the form of mould. In either case it is unfitted as food for 
horses, but especially in the former, in consequence of the 
fermentative action passing on to the acetous stage, when a 
considerable amount of acetate of potash is produced, which, 
