190 FIELD CROPS 



tible all the protein it contains. Oatmeal and other oat 

 products are now (1918) used as a partial substitute for wheat 

 flour in bread making. 



233. Oat Straw. The only by-product resulting from 

 the production of the oat grain is straw, which is largely used 

 for feeding to stock as roughage. Oat straw is higher in 

 feeding value and is more readily eaten by stock than the 

 straw from any other grain. It is practically equal to corn 

 stover (cornstalks with the ears removed) for feeding. It is 

 too bulky for feeding to fattening animals or those at hard 

 work, except as a small part of the ration, but as a main- 

 tenance ration to 'Vinter over" stock, it is excellent when 

 fed with a little good hay or some grain. Straw which is not 

 utilized for feed is commonly used as bedding for animals, 

 a purpose to which it is well adapted, for it absorbs liquids 

 readily and soon decays in the manure. As it is less harsh 

 than the straw of other grains and is free from beards, it is to 

 be preferred for this purpose. The fertilizing value of a ton 

 of straw at present prices is so high, that no one can afford to 

 burn it. Where it is not possible to utilize the straw either 

 as feed or bedding, it will usually pay to spread it on the land 

 and plow it under to add vegetable matter to the soil. 



234. By-Products of Milling. The by-products of the 

 oat milling industry are not very important, since they con- 

 stitute only a small part of the grain by-products. Quite 

 frequently the oat hulls, light oats, and oat dust are ground 

 with corn and sold as corn-and-oat feeds. These feeds 

 are decidedly variable in their character, depending very 

 largely on the proportion of oat hulls they contain, and 

 should be carefully examined before a purchase is made. 

 Ground corn and oats make an excellent feed, but it should 

 not contain an unusually large percentage of oat hulls, show- 

 ing the addition of this refuse to the whole grain. 



235. Oats for Hay and Pasture. If oats are cut before 

 the grain matures, while the leaves are still green and the 



