SUBSTITUTE FOR OATS 187 



It was therefore necessary to compile a mixture 

 to replace oats. Looking down the list of prices 

 in Table II the first six foods are found for various 

 reasons to be unsuitable for the purpose. Dried 

 brewers' grains, the seventh in order of cheapness, 

 were little used in Great Britain before the war. 

 The Norfolk Experiments had shown that it was 

 useful for fattening sheep. German literature re- 

 corded its successful use for horses as a constituent 

 of a mixed ration. The next food in order of 

 cheapness per food unit, wheat sharps, is too soft 

 and finely ground to use alone, but goes well with 

 bran which is very slightly dearer. Rice meal when 

 mixed with other things was also known by ex- 

 perience to suit horses. It was decided to recommend 

 a mixture of these four foods in such proportions as 

 would approximate in composition to oats, namely 

 dried grains 6 lb., wheat sharps 2 lb., bran 4 Ib. 

 and rice meal 2 lb. Such a mixture could be pre- 

 pared at is. S^d. per food unit and its use would 

 effect a saving of about 6d. per day per horse. 



It proved quite satisfactory for farm horses 

 which are only called upon to do slow work. It 

 could not be used in place of oats for Army horses 

 which may be required to do rapid work at short 

 notice. 



It may not be clear from the explanation given 

 above why it was thought advisable to recommend 

 a mixture of four foods rather than one food only. 

 This raises an interesting and important point on 



