July 1, 1909 
Hay should not be fed in the middle of 
the day. The heaviest feed should be 
given at night, when the animals will 
have plenty of time to digest it. Some 
horses require more hay or chaff than 
‘others. The amount of food a horse re- 
quiries varies with the speed at which he 
is worked. Suppose a horse to walks 123 
miles, he will do the distance comfortably 
on 19} lb, of hay, but if you trot him over . 
the same distance, even 24 1b, of hay is 
insufficient. Scientific men have shown 
‘that a. horse weighing 1,000 lb., and 
‘doing only moderate work, requires but 
114 lb. of digestible food daily; but, with 
average work, he requires 13} lb.; and, 
when heavy work is being performed, 163 
lb. If, in each case, the animal gets 10 . 
Ib. of hay, he would require, in addition, 
11} Ib. in an equal mixture of maize and 
oats in the first instance, 15 1b. in the 
second, and 20 1b. in the third. No 
draught horse should be allowed more 
than 12 1b. of hay or chaff inaday. Farm 
working horses, in good seasons, consume 
‘too much of this coarse fodder. If the 
hard-working horse were fed on hay alone. 
‘he would require 40 lb., but such a sup- 
ply would be fatal to good results, and 
‘absurd to supply. 
An excellent.feed for a horse doing 
moderate work—a horse weighing 1,000 
lb,—is a mixture of 10 lb. of hay with 
with 114 lb. of oats, or with 103 lb: of 
maize and oats in equal parts, or 8 lb of 
‘oats, and 4 1b. of bran. Barley may be 
‘substituted for oats. : 
Finally, never leave your horses, ufter 
they return in the evening to the stable, 
Without giving thema good rubbing. An 
“Sean 
ARAB 
DELICIOUS AR: 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
old saying is, that a good rub down with 
brush and curry-comb is as good as half 
a feed. Clean them from nose to tail, and 
dry them off with a cloth. Look to any 
sores they may have, and apply linimen; 
or ointment to them. In raw, cold 
weather, when your horses haye to stand 
for any time in the wet, cover thei¢ loins 
with a cloth. It will prevent the risk of 
their catching cold. Treat your horse, in 
fact, as you would treat yourself. Feed 
him well, treat him kindly, don’t over- 
work him, give him comfortable quarters, 
and you will not often require the ser. 
vices of a veterinary surgeon. It is well 
for all horse-owners to study some book 
on veterinary science, in order, at least, to 
be able to recognise the more apparent 
ailments of the animal, and those which 
will yield to the very simplest treat 
ment. In any case of difficulty or 
doubt, consult a surgeon as early as 
possible. 
‘Queensland Agricultural Journal.’ 
Artichokes as Food for. Pig's. 
This is a flowering perennial plant 
which has in the past been overlooked as 
a valuable food for pigs. It grows from 
6 to 9 feet high; and when in bloom, seen 
from a distance. the crops look like one of 
miniature sunflowers. . 
The stalks are frequently used for 
feeding sheep or conversion into silage, 
and the tubers afford a palatable and 
succulent food for pigs. The plant is 
very persistent in growth, and, if raised 
in suitable soil, it is difficult of eradication. 
2 RIS 
CORE 
OMA. 
33 
Enough tubers, as a rule, are Jeft~each 
year to continue the crop; hence it is wise 
to set apart a permanent paddock for 
it, or the odd corners of a farm or waste 
places of little value for other crops may 
be used for growing artichokes, 
The plant i is extremely hardy; it resists 
frost and drought. Whilst the best crops 
are raised on good mellow loams, yet 
profitable yields are secured on stiff clay 
lands, light sandy or gravelly soils. 
The land is best suited where the 
drainage is good. In fact, any soil suit- 
able for potatoes will answer for arti- 
chokes. It is a crop that requires 
little attention when it is established. 
The soil needs thorough cultivation. It 
should be deeply ploughed about May or 
June. During the winter it may be 
harrowed occasionally, lightly reploughed 
about September, and well manured. as 
if for sweet potatoes. The tubers are 
then planted by dropping them into 
furrows 3 feet apart, with a space of 2 
feet between each tuber. If the sets are 
small, plant whole, while large ones may 
be cut, 
them. 
an acre. 
The crop aes in five months, 
Should rain fall immediately after plant- 
ing, the harrow may be run over the land 
to fine the surface. This should be ~ 
repeated when the plants are about 4 
inches high. This checks evaporation, 
destroys weeds, and will not injure the 
crop. Later on the cultivator should be 
kept moving between the rows about once 
a montb, 
When the crop flowers and the: tops 
ia 
Cover by turning a furrow over 
About 4 ewt, of tubers will plant 
