80 THE SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



in diameter with verrucose surface and white interior), Lolium tenitilen- 

 tum (grass fruit 5 to 8 mm. long, short oval form, yellowish gray or 

 greenish gray awn 10 to 12 mm. long, broad at base, rough and sharply 

 pointed), or buttercup seed, knotweed seed, mustard, etc. Various de- 

 vices are in use for cleaning grain (Figs. 37 and 38). 



4. Moisture content. — Air-dried grain contains from 12 to 15 per cent 

 of water. (See page 3 for methods for determination of exact water 

 content.) The mere handling of the grain will give an approximate 

 idea of the water content. Properly dried oat grains have hard, sharp 

 points and produce a clear "ringing" sound when rubbed between the 

 hands. Damp oats are "tough" and do not have sharp points, are soft 

 or doughy between the teeth, while the dry grains snap or crack. Oats 

 that have been wet down to increase their weight have a rough surface 

 after drying out. 



5. Sise and Form. — As a rule the larger, fuller, more rounded or 

 plump and the more even or uniform the comparative size of the grain, 



Grain-cleaning machine — Fanning Fig. i - .ntnmg and cleaning ma 



the better its quality and the greater its value. Normally developed 

 grains are referred to as "medium; when extra large and well rounded 

 out in form, "plump" ; when not fully developed, "lean" ; and when 

 stunted in growth or shrunken, as "screening." (Fig. 39.) The latter 

 are generally rich in crude fiber and deficient in starch, etc. In regard 

 to size, oats are an exception in this respect. Small-grained varieties of 

 oats are generally richer in protein and therefore more highly valued. 

 6. Color. — A fresh, bright color indicates sound and fully matured 

 grain. Grains of a dull, pale appearance, especially when spotted and 

 with dark ends or tips, indicate exposure to moisture, poor storage, 

 and mouldiness. In order to improve the appearance of poor quality 

 grain it is sometimes treated with oil. This fraudulent practice may be 

 detected by compressing the suspected grain between tissue or blotting 

 paper, which absorbs the oil and reveals its presence. Mixing and agi- 

 tating suspected oiled grain with powdered bronze causes the latter to 

 adhere to the oiled surfaces. Powdered metallic copper dusted on the 

 surface of water contained in a thoroughly clean glass vessel (tumbler) 



