FOOD 237 



An attempt has been made to show that oats contain 

 a peculiar alkaloid known as Avenin, which exercises a 

 stimulating effect on the neuro-muscular system of horses, 

 but there is no evidence of such action, and the alkaloid, 

 which appears to vary considerably in different specimens 

 of oats, cannot explain the well-established fact of the 

 suitability of oats as a food, and their superiority over other 

 feeding grains. 



The grain of oats is composed of two parts, the husk and 

 the kernel. The husk cannot be too thin, nor the kernel 

 too plump. It is found from observation that a fairly 

 definite proportion exists between these two in different 

 qualities of oats. 



In poor oats the kernel is 60 per cent, of the weight. 

 In fairly good oats the kernel is 65 to 70 per cent, of the weight. 

 In good ,, „ 70 to 75 „ „ „ 



In very good „ „ 75 to 80 „ „ „ 



Such are the results of observations made in France,* 

 where the above system of judging the quality of oats is 

 adopted, rather than weighing a definite bulk of the grain, 

 both husk and kernel, as with us. 



This French system has much to recommend it, and will 

 be referred to again. 



Good Oats should be short, all long oats are thin oats 

 with an excessive amount of husk and a small proportion 

 of flour. The short plump oat is what is looked for. 



They should be hard to the pressure of the teeth, show- 

 ing they have undergone the process of drying, soft oats are 

 either new or damaged. 



They must be clean, free from dust, dirt, foreign bodies, 

 and seeds. Perhaps the most common foreign seed is the 

 black seed of vetches, which is bitter to the taste and 

 disliked by horses. 



The flour must be sweet and of good colour, discoloura- 

 tion is indicative of change the result of bad preservation, 

 and in mouldy specimens this is very marked. 



* ' Hygiene du Cheval de Guerre.' Chardin. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



