182 DESCRIPTION OF FEEDING STUFFS 



has come to the author's notice was presented by a sample of wheat 

 bran examined in the feed-control work in Wisconsin. 2 The anal- 

 ysis showed that 1413 whole seeds were found in 10 grams (or 

 less than one-third ounce) of the bran, and the weed seeds made 

 up over 10 per cent of the weight of the sample. The number 

 given represents over 128,000,000 weed seeds in a ton, which 

 would be distributed on the land with manure and, to a large ex- 

 tent, be ready to germinate the first season. By taking up space 

 and plant food that should be used by farm crops, the weeds grown 

 from the seeds would decrease the production of the land and 

 would also increase the cost of growing the crops (see Fig. 33,p. 171 ) . 



The feed laws of the various States require that bran containing 

 screenings must be sold as " wheat bran mixed with screenings," and 

 a statement of the percentage contained therein is also required in 

 some cases. The same applies to screenings in middlings. 



Oat Feeds. — The by-products in the manufacture of oatmeal 

 are similar to those obtained at the flour mills, except for the 

 differences in the structure of the oat kernel. Oats consist of a 

 kernel and a hull which are easily separated. The former is high 

 in starch, protein, and fat; the latter is low in all those com- 

 ponents, and high in fiber, hence has a very low feeding value. 

 As previously shown, the hulls make up about one-third of the 

 oa„t kernel, on the average, and contain 30 to over 40 per cent fiber 

 and only about 3 per cent protein. 



The hairy tips on the oats are separated in the manufacture of 

 oatmeal, after the kernels are hulled, and make up the by-product 

 sold as oat dust. The only other refuse feed obtained in oat mills 

 is oat shorts or middlings (often sold as oat feed). 



Oat dust contains considerable protein (13.5 per cent), fat (4.8 

 per cent), and other valuable feed components, with about 18 per 

 cent fiber. It is, therefore, a feed of some importance, although its 

 light, fluffy mechanical condition makes it difficult to feed except 

 in mixtures with heavy concentrates. 



Oat shorts or middlings are the richest of the by-products from 

 oats, and correspond closely to wheat middlings in chemical com- 

 position, with a somewhat higher fat content than this feed. 



Oat feed contains ground oat hulls with shorts or middlings ; it 

 should be bought only on a definite guarantee of its composition, 

 including maximum fiber content. The oat feeds on the market 

 differ greatly in composition and feeding value, according to the 



2 Circular 30, p. 79 ; see also Circular 97 of the same station, and Ver- 

 mont Bulletin 138. 



