1907.] Milling Properties of Oats. 263 



goes to show that the milling properties of the Potato are 

 exaggerated in popular estimation, and that several cross-bred 

 and foreign oats are quite equal, if not superior, to the common 

 strains. When the total quantity of meal produced per acre 

 is considered, the comparison is entirely favourable to the 

 newer varieties. 



Do the Laboratory Estimates Agree with the Milling Tests ? — 

 Apparently the estimates of milling power made by weighing 

 husk and kernel are very w T ide of the mark. When the variety 

 has a remarkably large proportion of husk — perhaps 7 to 10 per 

 cent, more than the normal — the milling property is affected ; 

 but variations of 2 to 3 per cent, are no guide whatever. To 

 determine this point, samples of grain to be afterwards milled 

 were examined by Mr. Hendrick, as described in Bulletin 2 

 of the Aberdeen and North of Scotland College of Agriculture, 

 page 26, and the estimated milling power compared with the 

 meal actually obtained. Forty or fifty tests were made, 

 and showed that, while, on the whole, there is a tendency 

 for thin-skinned grain to yield more meal, the exceptions are 

 striking and numerous. Reference to the last table will' 

 show that in one test Thousand Dollar had more husk than 

 Potato, and, in the other less, though in each case Potato 

 was the worse miller. The figures which follow are characteristic 

 in their inconsistency. 



Variety. 



- 



Estimated 

 Percentage of 

 Husk. 



Actual 

 Percentage of 

 Husk. 



Percentage of 

 Meal Actually 

 Obtained. 



One Test in Aberdeenshire — 









Siberian 



24-05 



24-2 



6i-5 



Wide Awake 



24-95 



26-2 



61 -3 



Scots Birlie 



23-31 



24-8 



59-8 



Thousand Dollar 



25*00 



28-9 



59-5 



Averages of Four Tests in Ross- 







shire — 









Sandy ... 



24-74 





57*7 



. Potato ... 



24-54 





57*2 



Waverley 



23-29 





55-7 



Storm King 



28-38 





55-5 



Newmarket 



22-67 





55*4 



In the Aberdeenshire trials the estimated percentage of 

 husk in the case of Siberian and Wide Awake agrees fairly 

 well with the actual percentage found in milling ; but Scotch 



