884 MANUAL OP CATTLE-^FEEDIKa* 



tant a fodder, and one liable to vary so mucli, to have at 

 least the amount of protein determined by chemical analy- 

 sis. Such an analysis, of course, would not suffice to de- 

 termine acGurately either the nutritive or commercial value 

 of the article ; but, at the same time, it might be of material 

 assistance in forming a practical estimate of the feeding 

 value of a sample of oats or of any other grain. 



In a concentrated fodder like grain, the protein is the 

 most important and most costly ingredient, as well as the 

 one whose amount is subject to the greatest variations, and, 

 other things being equal, the more protein the fodder con- 

 tains the more valuable it is for the purposes to which it is 

 applied. In conjunction with the weight, appearance, etc., 

 of the grain, a determination of the protein would be an 

 important factor in judging of its quality, and would have 

 the advantage of rapid and comparatively easy execu- 

 tion. 



DlgesUllUty, — The digestibility of oats has been largely 

 determined in experiments on sheep, though recently sev- 

 eral experiments have been made on their digestibility by 

 the horse. With the exception of three experiments, the 

 results of which were evidently exceptional, these trials have 

 shown a very unifoim digestibility of this feeding-stuff, and 

 therefore the average digestion coefficients may be consid- 

 ered comparatively trustworthy. The experiments on the 

 horse ^ have shown that this animal is able to digest oats, as 

 well as other concentrated fodders, quite as comj^letely as 

 sheep do. 



Barley. — Barley is in general somewhat poorer in pro- 

 tein than the other common cereals, and the more so the 

 more fully and uniformly the graiiis are developed, the 



* Landw. Versuclis-Stationen, XX., 125, and XXL, 19, and Landw. 

 Jahrbuoher, VIIL , L Supplement, p. 6* 



