OATS. 149 



Generally speaking, the heavier the oats, the larger will be 

 the percentage of flour (kernel), and consequently the more 

 will they be worth. This rule is liable to many exceptions ; 

 for, as we have seen, the density, thickness and form of the 

 husk of oats are by no means uniform. Accordingly, we may 

 not unfrequently find that a sample of heavy oats contains a 

 smaller percentage of flour than one of light oats, and is 

 consequently of inferior feeding value ; weight for weight. 

 Experiments made by Hickman gave the following results : 



No. of Weight of Grain Per cent, of 



varieties. per bushel. kernel. 



4 .... 361bs. ... 68 



3 .... 3 4 lbs. . '-. . 67 



7 . . . 30 Ibs. ... 69 



We should here bear in mind that although light oats 

 might show a higher percentage of flour than heavy oats, 

 it does not follow that a bushel of the former would 

 necessarily contain more flour than a bushel of the latter. 

 For instance, if we took a bushel of the 30 Ib. oats of the 

 foregoing table and the same quantity of the 36 Ib. oats, we 

 would find that the weight of the flour of the former comes 

 to 20 Ib. 1 1 oz., and that of the latter to 24 Ib. 7^ oz. In 

 selling by weight the advantage would, however, be with the 

 30 Ib. per bushel oats, in, of course, the proportion of 

 69 to 68. 



If we can increase as we wish the quantity of oats given 

 to a horse, we shall find, as a rule, that no feeding advantage 

 is obtained by using oats that are heavier than, say, 40 Ib. 

 (or perhaps even 38 Ib.) a bushel ; for in almost all such cases 

 the animal will desire to supplement the oats with hay or 

 straw, both of which are less palatable to a hungry horse than 

 oats ; although, after his appetite for nutriment has been more 

 or less allayed, his need for fibre will make him leave the 

 corn in order to seek for hay or straw. I am indebted to 



