The Portland daily press., 1877-03-26

No food of the root kind is so keenly rel
ished by horses as carrots; Indeed, most
horses prefer them to oats. Carrots, when
mixed with cbaf, without corn, will keep
horses in excellent condition, for performing
all kinds OF labor. They may be fed from De-
.cember to the beginning or middle of May, to
which period with proper care in this latitude,
they may be preserved. They are especially
beneficial to horses toward Spring, at which
time corn may be added for few weeks. In
certain parts OF Europe farmers depend solely
upon carrots, with proper allowance of hay,
as Winter food for their horses, without Civ
ing them any grain whatever; and it is assert
ed that by this mode of feeding farm horses a
considerable saving OF hay is effected, as
compared with the usual custom of the coun-
try OF feeding corn and hay. Draft and farm
horses are given in the proportion of fifty to
seventy pounds weight each per day on an av-
erage, not allowing them quite SO many in the
very short days, and sometimes more than
that quantity in the Spring months. A por-
ton of the carrots are sliced in the cut chaff
or hay, the rest are given whole to the horses
at night, with moderate quantity of hay, in
their rack; and with this food the horses will
usually enjoy uninterrupted health. There
are persons who think that carrots only given
as food to horses are injurious to their consti-
tons; but this belief is without foundation
other than prejudice. Experiments carefully
conducted have proved that team horses,
Winter and Summer, will perform ordinary
work on carrots as Winter food, with the
assistance Of proper soiling in Summer, and
may be kept the entire year round upon the
produce Of an acre OF land in carrots.
When capital and industry can be combined,
carrots offer a fairer opportunity Of remun-
erative return than any other comparative
crop, and where introduced will be found a
valuable article of food for horses, pigs and
poultry OF all descriptions. Butter of the most
agreeable appearance and exquisite flavor
may be obtained for the table by feeding mich
cows upon carrots, and ifstored for them dur
ing severe weather in Winter there will be no
dlminution in quantity, or deterioration in the
quality of their produce.
In establishments for trotting or racing
horses, carrots are especially beneficial. To,
ward Spring, when the horses have been fed
many months on dry food-oats, corn and
hay-they are extremely serviceable, indeed
necessary. Among horsemen they have
gained the reputation of being good for the
wind; but we suspect the only merit they can
claim in this respect is that they keep the
body cool and properly open, by which they
conduce greatly to health and condition, and
consequently clearness of wind. About the
same thing may be said of their claims to pro-
ducing fine coat; whatever conduces to
health does SO; consequently carrots do. To
any one who has been in racing stable, or in
any stable where carrots are fed, it may seem
almost useless to say that they should be
sliced in pretty long slices. 1t is dangerous
to give them cut crossway, as horses are ex-
tremely fond of them, and if at all greedy,
would be apt to bolt pieces of them whole,
which would be quite likely to cause some OF
them TO stick in the throat. Carrots, if kept
IN a dry place, in sand will keep long time,
or in sand they will keep out of doors, if COW
cred sufficiently with straw, and then banked
up with earth.-National Live Stock Jour.
nal.