INSPECTION OF COMMERCIAL FEEDSTUFFS 



69 



The purchaser should not be confused as to the very real difference between 

 oats, feed oats, and mixed feed oats. 



The present State specifications for State purchased oats are for Unsulphured 

 No. 2 Heavy. 



Test weight per bushel 

 Sound cultivated oats 

 Heat damaged kernels 

 Foreign material 

 Wild oats 



35 lbs. Minimum 

 94.0% Minimum 

 0.3% Maximum 

 3.0% Maximum 

 3.0% Maximum 



This is suggested as an economical grade for the average purchaser. There are 

 experimental data which demonstrate that the heavier oats are not materially 

 higher in feeding value than those of medium grade. 



The most common cereal grain found with oats is barley, possibly because it 

 may be found growing naturally with oats and again because it is of material 

 assistance in bringing up the test weight per bushel of light oats, barley weighing 

 as it does 45 to 50 pounds to the bushel. 



The presence of material other than oats is not so serious in the whole grain, 

 where the purchaser can obtain some inkling by merely looking at a sample, as 

 it is in the ground product. The presence of barley and other material in ground 

 oats is not so readily detected and it is believed that much of the ground oats 

 offered is made from oats that will grade as No. 1, which may contain as low as 

 SO per cent cultivated oats. 



Barley contains less fat and fiber than does oats. Following are the analyses 

 of several brands of ground oats collected in the course of inspection, compared 

 with the average analysis of 33 samples of oats with a purity of 95 per cent or 

 better. They are presented here because they deviate so much in average fat 

 content from oats of known purity. 



*Test weight per bushel ranged from 31.3 to 45.3 pounds, with an average of 37.7 pounds. 



Two suggestions are presented : 



For the Consumer. — In case of doubt as to quality, ask the seller to produce 

 the certificate of inspection and to identify it with the grain offered. 



For the Dealer. — ■ The grade of oats from which ground oats and feeding 

 oat meal are made should be designated on the tag. 



