LEADING CEREALS AND THEIR BY-PRODUCTS 



125 



in lime, such as legume hay, or lime may be supplied as ground lime- 

 stone or wood ashes. 



Owing to its bulky nature and also because it is often high in 

 price compared with other con- 

 centrates, bran is not com- 

 monly fed to farm animals as 

 the only concentrate, but is 

 mixed with other feeds to add 

 volume or to balance rations 

 low in protein. Its richness in 

 protein and phosphorus, and 

 its beneficial laxative action 

 make it valuable as part of the 

 concentrate allowance for dairy 

 cows, breeding animals of all 

 classes, and young, growing 

 animals. With all horses it is 

 useful, especially on idle daj^s, 

 because of its bulk and laxa- 

 tive effect. It is frequently 

 supplied at least once a week 

 in the form of a bran mash, 

 wet or steamed. It is too bulky 

 and too laxative to form a 

 large part of the ration for 

 hard-worked horses. Bran is 

 often mixed with corn and 

 other heavy concentrates in 

 starting fattening cattle or 

 sheep on feed. It is valuable 

 for brood sows not getting pas- 

 ture or legume hay, tho too 

 bulky for young pigs or fatten- 

 ing hogs. 



Due to its widespread popu- 

 larity, bran is often high in 

 price compared with other 



nitrogenous concentrates which can be used with equally good results 

 and many of which carry more protein. 



Wheat middlings. — Middlings vary in quality from red dog flour, 

 which contains considerable flour, to standard middlings, or shorts, 

 which may contain but little. To some extent standard or irown 

 middlings and shorts are interchangeable terms. Standard wheat 



Fig. 35. 



-DiAGRAk OF Wheat 

 Kernel 



A, three bran coats; b, aleurone layer; 

 c, cells filled with starch grains; d, em- 

 bryo, or germ; e, embryo leaves; f, em- 

 bryo root. (Partially after Neumann.) 



