HUNTERS 



may be said to constitute, though in a variable 

 degree, the forage used in all hunting stables : 



OATS 



Oats may be said to constitute the staple 

 article of dietary for hunters, and may be given 

 either whole or bruised. For young and middle- 

 aged hunters, whole oats are the best, digestion 

 being favoured by free insalivation, most readily 

 induced by compulsory mastication, which the 

 whole oats necessitate. For old hunters, or 

 others with weak digestion, bruised oats are the 

 best. Oats vary remarkably in their quality, 

 some being worthless for feeding purposes, 

 others of very little value. In the author's 

 opinion, Scotch and English oats are decidedly 

 the best, but very good samples of foreign oats 

 are easily obtainable. White oats are preferred 

 to the black, though many of the latter samples, 

 from the best firms, will compare favourably 

 with the former. The grain of the oat is 

 composed of two parts, namely, the husk or 

 shell, and the kernel. The true test of quality 

 is that of having a thin husk, but some oats are 



60 



