LEADING CEREALS AND THEIR BY-PRODUCTS 



127 



total weight, the average being about 30 per ct. As light-weight oats 

 contain more hull and less kernel than plump, heavy oats, their feeding 

 value per pound will be correspondingly less. To increase the weight 

 per bushel and thus make the oats appear to be of a higher grade, the 

 hulls are sometimes "clipped" at the pointed end by machines. 



Oats as a feed. — Owing to their bulky character, oats are the safest 

 of all feeds for the horse, in this respect being in contrast to corn. 

 Because of the mettle so characteristic of the oat-fed horse, it was long 

 held that there is a stimulating substance in the oat grain. All claims 



Fig. 36. — Heads of Oats, Emmer, and Spelt 



From left to right: 1, Variety of oats with open or spreading panicle; 2, side 

 oats; 3, emmer; 4, spelt. 



of the discovery of this compound have, however, melted away on 

 careful examination, and rations containing no oats, have given as 

 good results as where oats were fed. For dairy cows there is no better 

 grain than oats, but their use is restricted by their high price. Oats 

 are often mixed with heavy concentrates in starting fattening cattle 

 and sheep on feed. As fattening progresses more concentrated feeds 

 should be substituted for all or most of the oats. Ground oats with 

 the hulls sifted out provide a most nourishing and wholesome feed 

 for young calves and pigs. For breeding swine, whole oats in limited 

 quantity are always in place. 



