FOOD 245 



The stalks may be given chaffed; the straw is very 

 nutritious, and oxen in India are capable of performing very 

 hard work on it. 



Barley. 



Barley is very largely grown, but for malting purposes 

 rather than as a food supply. In the East it becomes the 

 staple feeding grain for horses, and takes the place of 

 oats. 



The crop should only be cut when it is fully ripe ; 

 it is a most difficult one to deal with, and requires the 

 greatest care, not, however, from a feeding but from 

 a malting point of view. The barley used for feeding 

 is frequently that which is unfit for the purposes of the 

 maltster. 



Barley does not contain as much nitrogen as oats, but 

 more carbo-hydrates and less fat. The grain is excessively 

 hard, which is probably one reason why its use for horses 

 is not popular ; it requires crushing or in some way pre- 

 paring for food. In India it is frequently parched, it is 

 sometimes given after soaking in water, or it may be boiled 

 or malted ; it is also often given without any preparation 

 whatever. In such cases a large amount passes away with 

 the fffices, having escaped digestion. 



Barley should have a thin wrinkled skin closely adherent 

 to the kernel, the grain plump with short fine ends, and 

 the bushel should weigh from 53 lbs. to 58 lbs. 



Experience shows it is a good food for horses, but it is 

 not in many cases a convenient one. As part of a mixture, 

 and given crushed, it is quite unobjectionable, and if it is 

 cheaper than oats it becomes economical. 



The awns on barley, particularly of the common varieties, 

 have been considered to be productive of intestinal irrita- 

 tion. Other trouble such as laminitis has been attributed 

 to this grain, but when this occurs it is generally due to 

 want of care in feeding. 



As a food for cattle and sheep it is frequently given 

 boiled as part of a mixture, or ground in the form of meal. 



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