142 



EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



protein and fat. Oats that are imperfectly developed are likely 

 to have relatively more protein and less starchy matter than 

 those that have been well formed. The percentage of hulls 

 varies between 20 and 35, with a probable average of 2G. It 

 was held formerly that oats contained an alkaloid avenin which 

 accounted for their peculiar effect in imparting spirit to horses, 

 but more recent investigations have failed to identify this 

 product. E. Schulze identified an alkaloid Trigonellum in the 

 oat, but the amount found was so small as to be without in- 

 fluence as a stimulant. 



The corn meal fed in the present experiment was the usual 

 material now offered in the general markets. It evidently was 

 not ground corn kernels, but a sifted product resulting from the 

 manufacture of cracked corn. The analysis of corn meal given 

 for comparison represented the average of 119 samples of 

 ground corn kernels. It is higher in protein and fiber and lower 

 in fat than the sifted product. 



Oats differ from corn in having noticeably more ash, rather 

 more protein and decidedly more fiber. 



The Digestibility of Oats. 

 The coefficients of digestibility were not determined in the 

 particular sample fed. Here follow the average coefficients ob- 

 tained for American and German oats : — 



Dry matter, 



Ash, . 



Protein, 



Fiber, 



Extract matter. 



Fat, . 



' Lindsey. 



American.* 



Foreign. 2 



s Kellner. 



Corn Meal 

 for Com- 

 parison. 



67 



Applying the above coefficients to the average composition of 

 American and foreign oats, and to the average analysis for corn 



