CHAPTER XXIII 

 OATS (Avena saliva) 



THE oat plant is a grass grown for both grain and forage. 

 It is used largely in connection with or interchangeably 

 with corn. Its principal use is as a food for horses, although 

 its use as a food for cattle, sheep, and swine is very general. 

 The oat grain when made into oatmeal and other cereal 

 dishes constitutes an important human food. 



328. Origin and botanical classification. The nativ- 

 ity of the oat plant is rather uncertain, but from the avail- 

 able evidence it is thought to be Tartary in western Asia, 

 or eastern Europe. It came into use at a much later date 

 than did wheat and barley. The early literature of China, 

 India, and other ancient countries of southern Asia make 

 no mention of oats and it is quite certain that this cereal 

 was of minor importance in the early nurture of the human 

 race. 



The botanical classification of the cultivated oat is 

 shown: Order Gramineae; tribe Avense; genus 

 Avena; species sativa. 



Botanists have in the past usually held that all varieties 

 of domesticated oats have descended from the wild oat, 

 Avena fatua, a cold climate oat, which species is character- 

 ized by the fact that the second flower separates easily 

 from the axis on which it is borne, leaving the axis attached 

 to the first flower. In other wild species, notably Avena 

 sterilis, the second flower, when disarticulated, carries 



272 



