new. tion is natural, from the aversion to every thing that is It will, however, be fully proved. I am the more encouraged, from the belief that a great part of the subsistence taken both by man and animals is of no further importance than to fill the stomach, for otherwise how should we account for the labouring classes being better able to support the fatigues of labour than the higher orders, whose food contains a fourth more nourishment than their's; with every allowance for habit, still there must be in their food all that is necessary for health and exertion. Since the preceding hints on feeding of horses were prepared for the press, circumstances have occurred which imperiously command my suspending the further steaming of potatoes for the present season. The severity with which the winter has commenced, the general deficiency of the potatoe crop, and the great injury which it has sustained by the wet, as well as the further loss of what is now in the ground by being frost-bitten, have combined to advance the price to 7d. and 8d. per stone, and to create a just cause of alarm, lest they should be much higher. A due regard to the interests and comfort of the labouring classes compels me to reserve my potatoes for their use, and to have recourse to other substitutes for feeding my horses. Though I had not half a crop, I have still on hand thirty thousand stone, which will have a powerful influence in keeping down the market price, and insuring a plentiful supply. My be commanded, the more frequently it is changed the better, which is effected by drawing a plug from the bottom. It requires so slow a motion for washing the potatoes, that I did not find it answer so well by having the machine turned by water. SIR, TO J. C. CURWEN, ESQ. Workington, Nov. 19th, 1807. ACCORDING to your order, the water exhaled from the potatoes in steaming has been tried upon a horse which was purchased for the hounds; four gallons of water from steaming was given it for some days, every morning and evening; the only effect it appeared to produce, was its operating as a diuretic; the horse was very weak when we began with him, and on the fifth day it died; I opened him, and found no defect in his stomach or bowels, nor did it appear the water given him had produced any injurious effects; nor do I believe it to have been the cause of his death, or some appearance would have been discernible. JOHN DIXON, Farrier. SIR, TO J. C. CURWEN, ESQ. Workington, Jan. 10, 1809. AGREEABLE to your orders, I commenced nine days ago to give 18 quarts a day of the water that exhales from the steaming of potatoes, to a horse that was attacked with a shot of grease. I could perceive no visible effect, effect, but by rest and attention the horse has improved in condition, and is returned to its work. The effect of this trial has confirmed the opinion entertained on the experiment of last year, that there is nothing poisonous in the water extracted from the potatoe by steaming. THOMAS MOORE, Groom. SINCE the former part of this paper was finished, the price of potatoes has advanced to 6d. per stone, with every appearance of being still higher. In consequence of this, I have found it necessary to be provided with some substitute, as I consider myself bound to stop my steaming whenever this invaluable root exceeds 6d., and to sell my potatoes to the poor. I have doubled the proportion of straw mixed in steaming, and adopted the method used in Scotland, of steaming a part of the straw. I give only one stone to each horse per day, and on Sundays substitute an additional quantity of carrots in lieu of potatoes: the saving of potatoes is considerably above one-half. To my farm horses I now allow 6lb. of carrots, and 6lb. of oats: Colliery horses, 8lb. of hay and 8lb. of straw, cut together. The expense of feeding is as follows: COLLIERY A man with a boy and horse can cut 80 stone in How far this feeding will be found to answer, I will not pretend to say; that it should meet with opposi 1 17 6 0 8 4 06 33 2 12 12 £1 2 101 new. tion is natural, from the aversion to every thing that is It will, however, be fully proved. I am the more encouraged, from the belief that a great part of the subsistence taken both by man and animals is of no further importance than to fill the stomach, for otherwise how should we account for the labouring classes being better able to support the fatigues of labour than the higher orders, whose food contains a fourth more nourishment than their's; with every allowance for habit, still there must be in their food all that is necessary for health and exertion. Since the preceding hints on feeding of horses were prepared for the press, circumstances have occurred which imperiously command my suspending the further steaming of potatoes for the present season. The severity with which the winter has commenced, the general deficiency of the potatoe crop, and the great injury which it has sustained by the wet, as well as the further loss of what is now in the ground by being frost-bitten, have combined to advance the price to 7d. and 8d. per stone, and to create a just cause of alarm, lest they should be much higher. A due regard to the interests and comfort of the labouring classes compels me to reserve my potatoes for their use, and to have recourse to other substitutes for feeding my horses. Though I had not half a crop, I have still on hand thirty thousand stone, which will have a powerful influence in keeping down the market price, and insuring a plentiful supply. My |