Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1855-04-26
farmers' Department.
RIeHr FEED FOR WORKING TEAMS.

vbat relates to the horse. His remarks on
feeding are particularly appropriate At bis sea d
Ion Of he year, when The spring work Is con- b
ne on. Our whole experience sith horses and
tasms for actiye service, 90 fully agrees with
wbat Is said below, that we do not hesitate
10 endorse the article aud commend 1t TO our
farmer friends.-[ohio Cultiyalor.
when horses are turned out 70 grass IN The
sprinQ Of the year; the sueeulent nature oi
he food causes them 70 purge, often TO great
extent this is considered by many persons
most desirable events great miseoneepuon.
The herbage is oVerchHged with sap and
moisture, Of q crude, acrimonious nature, to |
such an extent that all cannot be taken up by |
The organs destined for the secretion Of urine,
or by the absorbent vessels Of the body; the
superhuous huid therefore passes OF the intes-
tines with the indigestibls particles Of food and
thus the watery iaeces are thrown on. Flat
ulent collie or griPes is a frequent attendant
The system is deranged but the mischief
does not terminate here. II the purgng con-
tiuues. a constitutional relaxation Of the bow
els is established, very debilitating 70 the an
, NAL. and often dificult TO control AN go
decidedly opposed 70 an unrestricted allow
ance ofluxuriant grass 10 horses al any age.
that nothing could induce me to give u TO them
III NAV not be able TO enlist all my readers as
converts TO the practice ; l trust may great
MANY Of them. After the second year, hay
lshould form considerable portion Of the daily
food, in summer, to every animal intended
for hunting or riding. If horse Is
supported inurely upon The grasses which be
collects in rich pasture field, or upon that
which NAV be cut and carried to him in his pad
dock, be must consume q much greater bulk
than Of hay in an equivalent Time, 10 afford
nourishment to the system.~-Grass being very
full of moisture, 1t is very rapidly digested'
consequently the horse must be continually
: eating'it il. This dstends the stomach and the
bowels, and the faculty Of digestion is impair
I ed for the digestive powers require rest as
well az other organs Of the body, ii they are to
be preserved in perfect condition. By the
: custom of grazing, the muscular system is en-
feebled, and fat is substituted. This may es-
cape the notice of superficial observers, who
do not mark the distinction between the appear
ance of fat and a muscular animal who con-
ceiye so that the bones are covered, and the
points are rounded, all that is requisite has
been attained. But tLst is very ta!lacious
impression Let any person who is skepdcal
on this point ride horse in the summer which
has iust been taken out OF q grass field, along
A with another kept on hay and corn, at the
:, moderate rate OF AeVen or eight miles in the
- hour; the grass-fed horse will sweat proiusely'
;, while the other will be perfectly cool and dry.
~ This proves that the system oil the one eating
=" grass over abOunds with lat and those portions
OF the blood which are destined to form thai
deposit-Thoss who advocate grazing will nu
doubt excain, ''On this is q test OF condition,
viii b 10 not required in young and growing
le animals" beg 10 state that II is highly i'm
n portant, If the acme ol condition is TO Oe at
N tained by animals OF mature age, that the
n growth and gradual development Of theiI
u frames should be composed OF those healthy
IL and vigorous elmepts upon which The structure
e OF future ccndllion can be raised. Anima
,r substances are 10 u very great extent subser'
u Went 10 the nature and quality OF the food
d with which the individuals are nourished.
Q believe farmers would find ii much 10 their adj
vantage II they were to consider this subject
o with reference TO feeding cattle and sheep SO
that. they might select those kinds Of food
which abound with properties more conclusive
5 10 the production Of flesh than fat. There is
} no kind OF food which the horse consumes
which has not tendency TO deposit some por'
ton of fat. IL is substance which must ez-
let to q certain extent but as it is muscular
t power, not predIsposton to adipose rotun
3 dity, which enhances the value of the an
4 imal, the reasons are obvious what guide
8 should be taken in ths selection Of food
q have on former occasion limited the pro-
n priety Of bruisng the oats, and will now state
d my reasons for doing So The first viii! men
q tioL is economy. Three bushels of oats which
!. have undergone hat process are equivalent tC
ID four which have not and the animals consum
At them derive greater benefit Various scheme
are adopted 10 induce horses to masticate thoi
ID corn, ali of which are Intellectual. Scattering
ii them tbniy over the surface OF spacious man
ger, mixing q handful OF cut hay or straw witt
each feed, and such like devices, will not Caiol
the animal 10 the performance of mastcation.-
~ A horse that is disposed TO bolt his corn, how
T. ever carefully 1t may be spread along his man
ger, will soon learn To drive II into heap viii
his nose, and collect as lnuch with his lips as
40 thinks 6t before he begins 10 masticate. What
, ID ever food enters the stomach OF any animal
lce and passes away in an undigested from. ma
'Ck be considered ss so much drOss or exLraneou
'us matter, which, not having afforded nutrimenI
NJ is pTeludicial to the creature which consume
70 it. A mistaken notion Of economy is often th
as' incentive to turning horses out in the summed
p, to be entirely dependent upon grass for thei
uu support. few remarks will surely dlspC
ns that error. Twenty two bushels of Oats--a
va lowing one bushel per week from the 18th {
nu Nay to the 18th of Ootober--may be estimate
As the produce of hall an acre of land, and ha
ton OF hay that Of another half acre, althoug
u. Q ton and half per acre is not more than a
To average crop. II requires at least an acre
. grass land 70 support horse during the perio
Oh above named, Cecil.