Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-11-07
"HAY-BRICKs" FOR HORSES.
Favorable Reports of the Trial of an
Emergency Ration.

London Telegraph: For some time
past. when Mr. Thomas Atkins walks
abroad on business, he has been In the
habit OF carrying small tablet, known
as an emergency ration. which he is
supposed to preserve intact until other
food fails him, and which. If all the
tales about it are true, he Is not in the
least likely to devour before. But the
anxiety of a maternal government is
not confined to its men, and II Ia not
surprising in these days, when an OK
Eabitually enters a teacup. that means
should have been found to turn truss
or so of hay into a brick for the benefit
of the cavalry and artillery horses
According to an American paper. mount
ed men in the 1ransvaal and the Philip
pines go about provided with a string
of hay lozenges, one OF which provides
a decent meal for any well regulated
horse or the Philippines this story
may or may not he true. but II Is fairly
obvious that II the hay lo2enge satisfied
all equine needs we should not have
heard so much about the difficulties OF
finding forage on the veldt. The truth
is, the hay brick does exist; the hay
unless the hay lozenge IL more filling
than the hay brick, the horses who live
on 1t in the Philippines have a short
and miserable life. This does not mean
that the brick is valueless 1t does
provide sustenance of kind, and It
was largely used and its utility proved
in the Soudan. But horse has "A large
stomach, and, as all ay merchant OBJ
served, cant live on pills. however
strong they are" Besides the brick OF
compressed fodder. the animal Requires
something more bulky. The hay brick
serves well enough to tide over emer-
gencies on long march but MS the
daily bread OF horse on u campaign IL
is not satisfying or satisfactory. IN
fact. It is practically in the same case
as the emergency ration. n Thomas
Atkins were asked to live on emer-
gency rations for six months, he would
certainly grumble, and very possibly fall
sick, but the ration can keep him alive
for day or two very satisfactorily SO
il is with the hay brick.
OF course. all the hay sent to South
Africa is compressed, and some idea OF
the extent ~ which such a process has
been used may be gathered from a few
figures The space ordinarily allowed
for ton in a ships hold is 40 cubic
feet A ton OF meadow hay occupies
900 Canadian hay of which a very
large quantity has been sent to South
Africa is pressed until a ton Of II may
be gotten into some 100 cubic feet II
is poe sible. under increased pressure
10 reduce this space TO 80 or 50 feet,
But the process of compression when
carried 50 far as this spols the quality
Of the hay The hayhriek requires
special method OF manufacture.
a mixture is made Of bran oats and
hay The resultant compound is then
pressed until 81 cubic feet contain ten
of II. So far as tins the method has no
very striking originality. Comp essed
food Of any kind can, II ~ clear. be
more easily utilized II IL is divided into
many small and easily portable pack
ares than II II forms one great mass
In order 10 turn the mixture into
bricks" portion Is placed between
two iron plates, Pressure is imposed
20 the requisite degree Clamps are
then bound round the plates, and they
are removed from the p &R A brick
which had 10 be carried a lout between
two clamped bits OF sheet iron would
give more trouble than ordinary fOd-
der On the other hand some means
must be found Of restraining the inner
ent elasticity Of the hay II was dis
covered that the difficulty might be
overcome BY heat
a truck load Of hay bricks, each still
htween rs clamps. is run into an oven.
liter being raised 70 a moderate heat.
the truck IL withdrawn. the clamps re-
moved. and the bricks stand ready TO be
transported 10 the Soudan or the Trans
wal. or any place where one OF The en-
pire's little wars happens 10 be raging.
After being tried In the fire, the brick