576 BOTANY AS APPLIED TO VETERINARY SCIENCE. 
Europe for centuries, and was found growing wild on the 
island of Juan Fernandez, but at w 7 hat period, or from what 
country it was first introduced into Europe is not known. 
It is an annual plant, largely cultivated in many parts of 
England, but especially so in Scotland, where it constitutes 
a large supply of human food. It thrives on a far wider 
range of variety of soils than any other British cereal, and 
“ flourishes best in the middle and even northern regions of 
the temperate zone, becoming increasingly sickly and unpro¬ 
ductive as it reaches the tropics.” As food for animals all 
parts of the plant are valuable. In some districts oats are 
consumed in the green state ; the straw, also, is better than 
any other for fodder, but the grain is the most valuable part 
of the plant. As food for horses it is far superior to any 
other grain, its use for this purpose being familiar to 
every one. Much depends upon the age and condition of 
oats as food for horses, as, when given new, they are apt to 
disagree with the digestive organs, and to produce a laxative 
effect; and, when harvested too soon, they become of a dark 
colour and have a disagreeable odour, and resemble mowburnt 
hay in their effects upon the kidneys. Attention should also 
be paid to the manner in which they are kept after being 
thrashed, as if they are then in “bad condition” and allowed 
to remain heaped together for any length of time, they are apt 
to favour the growth of a fungoid parasite of a very poisonous 
nature, the injurious effects of which were recorded by Pro¬ 
fessor Varnell in a paper to the Veterinarian of February last. 
Oats are largely consumed as human food in many parts 
Scotland in the form of oatmeal, and are also used by the 
distiller in the manufacture of wdiiskey. 
“ Hordeum distichum (two-rowed or common barley). 
SpiJcelets three, the middle one only fertile, the two lateral barren 
and beardless; Glumes tw 7 o; Valece two, the low T er one furnished 
w ith a very long aw T n ; Scales obtuse, fringed; Styles feathery; 
Gi •ain adhering to the paleceV —Lindley. This, the more 
commonly cultivated barley, w r as introduced into this country 
from the south of Europe at a very early period. There are 
a great many varieties, differing in value according to the 
soil and situation in w 7 hich they grow 7 . 
Barley is considered constitutionally more tender than 
many other cereals, and, in some instances, it cannot stand 
the rigour of our winters; “ and yet it growls w 7 ild over a 
w ide extent of both the old world and the new 7 , and it is suc¬ 
cessfully cultivated athwart a greater breadth of the globe 
than any other of the valuable grains.” 
It is an annual plant, thriving best on a rich light soil. It 
