I 4 8 VARIETIES OF FOOD. 



artificial presence of sulphur, which is sometimes used for 

 bleaching damaged oats in order to improve their colour, may 

 be detected by the smell given off by the oats when they are 

 rubbed briskly between the hands. " Oats which have been 

 kiln-dried, even if not bleached, shrink unduly from the points 

 of the husks, and so can very readily be detected, and they 

 also have a brown appearance at the points " (Fisher}. The 

 plumper, more rounded, and heavier oats are, the higher will 

 be their market value. Thinness of husk will also enhance 

 the price as a rule. The cost of white oats, probably on 

 account of their cleaner and more pleasing appearance, is 

 higher than that of either black or tawny oats. Old oats are 

 sold at about 15 per cent, more than new oats. The term 

 " old " is applied to oats as soon as the next crop begins to 

 be thrashed. 



Practical experience is the only certain means for teaching 

 us how to distinguish old oats from new ones ; the differences 

 between the two being due to drying and fermentation. The 

 slight fermentation undergone by even the best old oats 

 removes from the husk a good deal of the gloss which cha- 

 racterises sound new oats. During this fermentation, a certain 

 amount of dust is formed, which would probably be got rid of 

 by the corn-dealer before showing a sample. The difference 

 of smell is well marked ; and also that of dryness, which we 

 may test by placing a hand into a heap of the grain, and by 

 chewing a few of the kernels. The best way of making sure 

 that the oats we buy are old, is to purchase our yearly supply 

 a little before the oat harvest is cut. 



The feeding value of a given weight of oats varies according 

 as the weight of the kernel exceeds that of the husk, other 

 things being equal. This statement is self-evident, when we 

 consider that the husk is almost entirely composed of crude 

 fibre, which we have seen has little or no nourishing properties. 

 In fact, the husk has about the same feeding value as straw. 



