OAT HAY AND WHEAT HAY 41 



grain ; apparently, on account of the " chaff" facilitating 

 the more thorough mastication of the corn by separating 

 the grains or particles of the corn one from another, and 

 by more evenly distributing the pressure of the teeth on 

 them. We may readily see that for the performance of 

 this work, it is better to have the different pieces of chaff 

 soft than hard ; although the softness should be obtained 

 by bruising or tearing, and not by the application of 

 moisture. In Egypt, Syria, Arabia, and other Asiatic 

 countries, the chaff is formed from wheat or barley straw 

 which is broken up into small pieces and is thoroughly 

 bruised by the native threshing machine (Arabic, noraj) 

 and is then called tibhen. A mixture of barley and tihhen 

 forms the staple food of vast numbers of Eastern horses, 

 which, except on rare occasions, get no other forage, and 

 which keep in excellent condition on it. Horses would 

 not thrive as well on ordinary chopped straw, thus given, 

 as on tihhen. A similar practice is carried on in South 

 Africa, where the chaff is made principally from wheat 

 straw, which is bruised and broken up into small pieces 

 during the process of threshing, which is performed by 

 horses and mules trampling upon the stalks of corn. In 

 places where this bruised chaff could not be obtained, it 

 would be very useful to have a special machine which 

 could bruise and break up the straw in this manner, were 

 it desired to use straw as a food for horses. 



Oat Hay and Wheat Hay. — Oat hay is largely used 

 in the Australasian Colonies and in South Africa, where 

 it is called ''forage," either as an addition to, or as a 

 substitute for, ordinary hay or grass. The oats for this 

 purpose are cut when the grain has just lost its milkiness. 



