Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-02-17
farmers Column.
Would ii be More Profitable to Raise
Rye instead OF Oats for Feeding?

Would ii be More Profitable to Raise
Rye instead of oats for Feeding?
~f,would say not, if the farmers will
raise the right kind of oats. We have
here, in North Carolina, the Egyptian
oats. We SOW them in September, and
they stand the winter as well as rye, and
mature about the middle of June (about
the same time of seeding and harvesting
as our rye)
The Egyptian or winter oats are lar
ger and heavier than the common spring
oats. You may sow them on land that
would not make more than ten or twelve
bushels of rye per acre, and you will
get from fifteen to twenty bushels of oats.
The oat straw will be better than that of
the rye, and equally as long Itmay be
the best plan to give my remarks in two
classes, Gas ! am writing more for infor-
nation than for premium j first, of rye !;
second, of oats.
In North Carolina, rye is but little
raised any more. 1t will not yield more
than ten or twelve bushels to the acre,
according to the land. The average is
about twelve bushels to the acre, and
weighing fifty-six lbs. per bushel, worth
eighty cents, which is about nine dollars
and sixty cents per acre for grain The
rye straw makes good food when cut, if
it be cut very short; but unless it is well
fraled in ihreshing, the straw is rather
hard, and rye straw never has as much
fodder on it MS oat straw, which makes it
less useful as hay for cattle.
The Egyptian or winter oats are being
raised by most farmers in the southern
aud middle counties of North Carolina.
They were introduced into this (Stanly)
county, by DR.. Crone, some eight years
since, and, instead Of failing, as most
new seeds do, they improve and get bet
ter. They yield from fifteen to forty
bushels per acre, according to the land
sure crop on any kind. They grow
high enough to save well on the poorest
of land, where the common spring oats
would have to be pastured, if saved at
all. On good land, they grow from five
to seven feet high, (and | have heard of
some stalks nine feet, and have heads
from ten to eighteen inches long These
oats average about twenty-five bushels to
the acre, weigh forty-fve lbs, and worth
sixty-five cents, thus making sixteen
dollars and twenty-five cents per acre for
grain. The straw is the best of food
when cut and mixed with meal. The
straw is soft aud has large blades, which
makes it good hay for cattle. and hor-
ses will eat it from the rack more hear
tily than they will hay. One bushel per
acre is seed enough to SOW, and some
farmers have raised three crops from one
seeding, by blowing in the scattered
heads instead of pasturing. Mr. Fisher
says his crop for 1859, which was the
third from one time sowing, was better
than the first. The time and labor for
raising oats will not cost any more than
that of rye, and is much pleasauter work
in harvest. The farmer will make sixty
seven per cent. in weight per acre, by
raising oats, and if for sale, seventy
three per cent. in money. AT the same
time oat straw is worth fifty per cent.
more than rye straw for food as a hay
and much better for cutting.
If you think this will be of any advan.
tage to Northern farmers, you may pub
lish it for their benefit, and if they have
not got the Egyptian or winter oats,
advise them to get some and try them,
for they are much better for feeding than
rye, and leave the land in better order
to fallow for corn, in this Southern coun.
try. JouN 7. Howell.
Leo, Stanly Co., ~ c.