OATS, BARLEY, RYE, ETC. 297 



phasizes the importance of feeding oats by weight rather 

 than by measure. 



401. Oats as Human and Animal Food. Oats are used 

 more extensively as an animal food than as human food. 

 When the hulls are removed and the oats are prepared 

 as human food, they have a high value because of 

 the large amount of available protein, fat and other 

 nutrients which they contain. As an animal food oats 

 are especially well adapted for the feeding of horses, be- 

 cause of their mechanical condition and the com- 

 paratively large amount of available nutrients. Ex- 

 periments at the Wisconsin Experiment Station show 

 that when fed to dairy animals under similar conditions, 

 oats produce 10 per cent, more milk and butter fat than 

 the same weight of bran. 



402. Barley is used largely for brewing and for animal- 

 feeding purposes rather than as a human food. There is 

 less fat, fiber, and ash than in oats, but more protein and 

 carbohydrates. Barley contains less protein than wheat. 

 For brewing purposes, perfectly sound and fully matured 

 barley is necessary, while that which has been slightly 

 damaged in any way, as by rain, frost or hot winds, is not 

 suitable for this purpose. Such barley, however, can be 

 used for feeding purposes and is frequently the cheapest 

 grain that can be fed by western farmers. Barley is 

 suitable for the feeding of all kinds of farm animals. The 

 hulless varieties contain less fiber and more protein and 

 available carbohydrates. A study of the proteids of bar- 

 ley shows that there is about i part of nitrogen to 



