The semi-weekly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1879-1882, 1882-01-19
FARM NOTES

having the nature of "winter oats"
If put into the ground in the fall it
leaves the spring ploughing to be
devoted exclusively to corn, and can
by such late sowing be able to follow
corn In rotation to better advantage,
as but few farmers care to pass
through the fall without breaking
ground for late seeding. In order to
avoid inquiries for seed Of winter oats
/ will state that / know of no partic-
ular teedsman dealing in them in
Philadelphia, but the seed can be
procured from those who sell seeds in
Richmond and Norfolk. Those
who grow oats can easily discern the
advantage Of having a winter variety.
/ am not sure that our oats grown
here, and which are usually sown in
spring, can stand winter; but the
winter oats that are grown further
south do so, and probably will do as
well in this section.
With the above allusion to the I'D
vantages of winter oats we may con-
slider the propriety Of a new method
of feeding them-new in some local
tiles, but time-honored in sections
that produce but little hay. We are
all accustomed to the method Of al
lowing oats to ripen fully, and after
harvesting to then thresh, and dis
card the straw as but Of little value.
Now this is wasteful and the expense
is quite an item, for we must treat
oats somewhat as we do wheat, and
during the period Of harvesting it
entails much labor. Owing to this
fact farmers are abandoning the grow
ing Of oats as in comparison with
wheat the cat crop does not pay.
But farmers all prefer to feed oats
whenever possible, and they will buy
them for that purpose in preference
to growing crop ofthen. Now oats
can take the place of hay, furnishing
long provinder and grain at the same
time. Instead of allowing an oat
crop to ripen, if you desire. them for
feeding, out them when just in the
ssmilk"--s term I use because farmers
are familiar with that period in the
growth of oats. As soon as cut bind
them into sheaves and treat the same
ss wheat. Do not 60 to the trouble
Of threshing them, but cut them up
for feed in bulk, straw and grain to-
gether; mix we'll with a little salt and
water, and the way your stock will eat
and thrive on it win convince you
that you have heretofore expended
useless labor in threshing and wantou-
ly thrown aside valuable straw.
By cutting them when in milk we
avoid loss Of nutritious matter. There
is more in the straw while it is green
than when dry, as every farmer knows
10 the case with corn fodder when
cured somewhat green. When per-
fectly dry ii is regarded as inferior
for feeding. So ii 10 with oats. Gu,
them before they turn yellow, you
thus preserve nutritious matter that
would be destroyed by chemical in
aaenoe at later stage Of growth.
Do not be afraid Of the experiment
because you are not familiar with ID
but give 1t q trial. The oats mead
not be winter oats. Any kind will
do. All that is required is to cut
them green, bind into small shesves,
LET them remain out to cure for few
days and then haul them to the barn
lnd pass grain and straw together
through the cutter. They will keep
rs well as any other feed.
This custom grew from necessity
in some sections that produce small
amounts Of hay. We are favored
here usually with good hay crops,
and for that reason we waste much
that could be Of service. Even where
hay is plenty, good feed of cut oats
is splendid change and equally rs
good. By this method oats can be
made desirable crop instead Of an
unweIcome one in the process of rota-
ton. There is no use in feeding dry
straw when we can cure it while pos
sesssd of its rich juices. Dry straw
should not be wasted by any means,
and the repugnance to it can be OBJ.
waited by this method of managing
the crop Of oats.
There are many farmers who are not
possessed of the best quality of land,
and who find it an impossiblity to
grow oats at present prices with profit.
But those farmers by cutting oats in
the milky state just before the crop
begins to change color, can keep stock
with better advantage, and by judi
cious management Of the manure from