SECTION 3.  THE FORAGE RATION.

“1077,Army_Regulations_.—­The forage ration for a horse is 14 pounds of hay and 12 pounds of oats, corn, or barley, and 3-1/3 pounds of straw (or hay) for bedding; for a Field Artillery horse of the heavy-draft type, weighing 1,300 pounds or over, 17 pounds of hay and 14 pounds of oats, corn, or barley, and 3-1/3 pounds of straw (or hay) for bedding; for a mule, 14 pounds of hay and 9 pounds of oats, corn, or barley, and 3-1/3 pounds of straw (or hay) for bedding.  To each animal 3 pounds of bran may be issued in lieu of that quantity of grain.

“The commanding officer may, in his discretion, vary the proportions of the components of the ration (1 pound of grain, 1-1/2 pounds of hay, and 2 pounds of straw being taken as equivalents), and in the field may substitute other recognized articles of forage obtained locally, the variation or the substitution not to exceed the money value of the components of the ration at the contract rates in effect at the time of change.

“1078,Army_Regulations_.—­Where grazing is practicable, or when little work is required of the animals, commanding officers will reduce the forage ration.  When, on the other hand, conditions demand it, they are authorized to increase the ration, not in excess, however, of savings made.”

In the field the authorized allowances must often be reduced and supplemented by grazing and other kinds of food, such as green forage, beans, peas, rice, palay, wheat, and rye.  Wheat and rye should be crushed and fed sparingly (about one-fourth of the allowance).  For unshelled corn, add about one-quarter weight.

On the march the grain ration is the only forage carried.  It consists of 12 pounds of grain for each horse and 9 pounds of grain for each mule.  Recourse must be had to grazing if it is not possible to procure long forage in the country traversed.

In campaign a command carries as a part of its normal equipment the following forage: 

(a) For each draft animal:  On each vehicle a reserve of one day’s grain ration for its draft animals.

(b) On animals and vehicles:  A portion of their grain ration issued the night before, for a noonday feed.

(c) In the ration section of the field train, for each animal, two day’s grain rations.

(d) In supply train of an Infantry division two days’ grain rations, and of a Cavalry division one days’ grain ration.

CHAPTER IV.

PERSONAL HYGIENE AND CARE OF THE FEET.

PERSONAL HYGIENE.

History shows that in almost every war many more men die of disease than from wounds received in battle.  Much of this disease is preventable and is due either to the ignorance or carelessness of the person who has the disease or of other persons about him.  It is a terrible truth that one man who violates any of the great rules of health may be the means of killing many more of his comrades than are killed by the bullets of the enemy.