FORAGE. 39 



In some experiments made by a miller for the author he found that a 

 fair sample of oats, per bushel, 



30 Ib. per bushel yielded Flour, 19 Ib. 7 oz. = 155 Ib. 8 oz. 

 34 Ib. 22 Ib. 5 oz. = 1781b. 8 07. 



38 Ib. 26 Ib. 14 oz. = 215 Ib. 



44 Ib. 32 Ib. 9 oz. = 260 Ib. 8 oz. 



Another sample 



at 32 Ib. yielded 19 Ib. 15 oz. of flour, = 159 Ib. 8 oz. per quarter. 

 at 38 Ib. 26 Ib. 7 oz. = 211 Ib. 8 oz. 

 at 42 Ib. 30 Ib. 14 oz. = 247 Ib. 

 at 44 Ib. 33 Ib. 14 oz. = 271 Ib. 



Another analysis will be found in the Addendum. 



From the above it will readily be seen that good oats, even at a high 

 figure, are cheaper for feeding purposes than inferior samples at a lower 

 price. The increase in weight per bushel is mainly in flour. The husk 

 forms a much larger proportion in light than in heavy oats. 



But besides the question of weight, there is the far greater question of 

 the nutritive value of the flour from fully well-grown and well-matured 

 ears over flour from ill-developed ears, the produce of a crop grown on 

 poor soil or under bad climatic conditions. There is no value in any 

 crop except what is extracted from the soil; and if the soil is poor or 

 from bad treatment impoverished, the nutritive value of the produce can 

 be but small. 



Dealers often offer to make up the weight of a lot of oats to the stipu- 

 lated number of pounds per bushel by giving an increased quantity. 

 This practice should not be permitted. Good oats yield more flour per 

 pound than inferior oats. Besides which the flour in light oats is 

 always inferior in quality to that contained in well-grown, fully ripened, 

 and well-developed grains. 



E. g. a quarter of oats at 32 Ib. will weigh 256 Ib. per quarter, and, 

 according to the second of the above tables, contain 159 Ib. 8 oz. of flour. 

 If 80 Ib. oats be added in order to bring it up to the weight of a quarter 

 at 42 Ib., viz. 336 Ib., there will be an addition of about 6J Ib. of flour, 

 making the total weight of flour 165J Ib. ; whilst in a quarter of oats at 

 42 Ib. (natural weight) the flour is 242 Ib. Besides which the difference 

 in the quality of the flour (see above) must be taken into consideration. 



71 . Mode of weighing a bushel. 



In the preceding paragraph we have explained that the value of oats 

 is in a great degree dependent on their weight per bushel. In buying 

 oats, it is customary to stipulate that the lot shall weigh so many pounds 



