Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-03-12
Tor the VERMONT FAR VIA.
Hulless Oats.

This variety Of oats is new in this section,
and therefore its character is not as well
known as ii should be to gain the confidence
of agricuturists. What know about these
oats will here give to your readers, so that
if any wish to engage in their culture, they
may do SO, not wholly uninformed in regard
to their merits, us your correspondent was
when he commenced their cultivation the
last season.
Quite late in the spring Of 1874, was
urged by one Of the operators in these oats
to purchase a bag of them for seed, he Civ
ing glowing account OF their productive
ness, and their value for food purposes to
those who have decided love for oat.meal
puddings; and that the great demand for
them as seed would make them more remuner.
rative than any grain could raise. But
when the modest sum of 90 per pound, or
$50 per bushel, was asked, naturally hesi-
tated especially when reverted to the fact
that the same parties plunged deeply into
the Norway or black oat humbug a few
years ago, which swindled so many of my
brother farmers OF their hard.carned money.
Not intending to bo a party to any such
scheme, or have my pockets 6ched by un-
scruplous speculators, declined purchasing
at that time But desiring to know more
concerning them, wrote to brother in one
Of the Western states, where they are raised
to some extent, for information, and at the
same time to have him forward me a bag,
provided they were not humbug.
In due course Of time L received line
from him, stating that no had seen the man
who raised the Bohemian oats, aud had pur-
chased u bag of them, which he had forward
ed to me. The oats arrived in season for
sowing. sowed exactly two bushels Of
seed on two acres Of fair upland, the soil be.
ing light, gravelly loan, they yielding six
ty-eight bushels, as they were measured from
the thrashiug machine. This consider a
good yield, VIII en- we take into account the
fact that there is no hull, which in the com-
mon oat constitutes at least three. e.fourths Of
its bulk.
have not ground any of them into meal,
but have no doubt they will prove excellent
for that purpose, as Mrs. 9. has cooked them
whole like rice, and they made very pala-
table food. The whole cost of my expert
mental seed was in the vicinity Of six dol
lars, but not over, per bushel. The value
Of the straw for fodder is much above other
kinds of oats it being finer and softer, and
cattle 60 for it quite as eagerly as they do
for hay. have frequently thrown my COWS
some of it after good feed of hay, and they
would lick it up clean. Others, with whom
l have conversed concerning it, have cOiucid-
ed with me in reference to the straw as fod.
der.
They stood up so remarkably we'll that l
was enabled to cradle the most of them.
This consider good item in their favor.
There was also the least waste 10 their har-
vesting Of any oat with which have become
acquainted, which certainly is another item
in their favor.
OF their value as feed for horses or cattle
cannot say, but have perfect confidence in
them from the observations made in my brief
experience in their cultivation. r. CHILD.
MoretoDn, w., March /.