FEEDING OF HUNTERS 65 



small oats, which are much cheaper relatively, is as 

 good as the same weight of larger, better oats. I 

 ventm-e to disagree, and believe there is more 

 nutritive value in good big oats, weight for weight ; 

 and trainers would seem to think so too, as they 

 will have nothing but this class of corn. 



If yoLi have storage room, it is as well to buy 

 your oats in the spring. It is rather cheaper, as a 

 rule, to do so then, and you insure having nothing 

 but old oats for the ensuing season. When 

 bought in the autumn they are occasionally mixed 

 with new. 



I must warn you, how^ever, against storing too 

 many, unless you have very good, well ventilated 

 store-houses, entirely disconnected with your stable; 

 and, m any case, the oats want thoroughly turning 

 over once a month, which it is impossible to do 

 properly if they lie too deep on the floor. If these 

 conditions are not fulfilled the oats will heat and 

 be attacked by weevil (a small insect), and you will 

 have a tremendous difficulty ever to get them clean 

 again. 



There is one difficulty, in my part of the world 

 at least, about buying your oats direct from the 

 farmer, namely, that many of them thrash out their 

 oats in the autumn, needing the money to pay the 

 rent, and it is not often convenient for a gentleman 

 to store them through the winter. Well-to-do men 



