KURBEE. 41 



for this purpose are cut when the grain has just lost 

 its milkiness, and when the green stalk is beginning to 

 turn in colour ; the obj ect being to get as much flour 

 in the grain as possible, without allowing the stalk to 

 become hard and dry. We must remember that if the 

 grain be allowed to ripen, the sheaves would bear trans- 

 port badly ; for even a moderate degree of shaking would 

 then cause a large proportion of the grain to fall out of 

 the ears. In South Africa, oat hay frequently replaces 

 hay and grass entirely in the feeding of horses and 

 with good results. Race-horses in that country are fed 

 entirely on " forage " (as a substitute for hay) and oats, 

 in which case, about six inches of the lower end of the 

 stalks of the oat hay are cut off. I must, however, say, 

 from personal experience, that I do not think that 

 race-horses trained on this food, show as good condition 

 as those which are prepared in India on doob grass and 

 oat ; notwithstanding that the Indian oats are inferior 

 in quality to those grown in South Africa. I am 

 therefore of opinion that although oat hay is a 

 valuable adjunct (as I have often proved it to be) 

 to doob grass, it is not altogether a satisfactory 

 substitute. 



Wheat hay, prepared like oat hay, though not as 

 good, can be used in place of it. Green oats or green 

 wheat may be used as " green meat " for horses, in the 

 same way as we would employ lucern, etc. 



Kurbee. Kurbee, which is the stalks of Indian 

 millet, called in Hindustanee, ^Vwar (Holcus sorghum, 

 or Sorghum vulgare), or bajra (Panicum spicatum), 

 may be given, without being prepared in any way, in 

 quantities of about 25 Ibs. daily, as a substitute for 



