The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1885-11-04
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.
what Variety OF oats Shall the Farmers
Sow?

Sow
In this section fine corn crop was |
grown in the year 1876; for five years
after that season the dry weather of
July cut off the corn crop to less than
half. The farmers began to despair Of
growing on old upland corn in sufh-
cient quantity to feed the farm stock.
In the fall of 1881 an unprecedentedly
large crop Of Red rust-proof oats were
sown and the season was favorable for
fall oats, so the farmers harvested an
enormous oats crop il May, 1882.
Most farmers thought they had at last
hit upon, the plan of raising grain
crops for stock, as the yield OF oats
that season per acre was in many cases
fully FIVE times greater than corn and
the cost Of growing an acre III oats
was much less than growing an acre in
corn. But since the year 1882 the cats
crop has been q complete failure IN
Monroe county, A few years since
gentleman from Hancock county spent
q night with the writer. After supper
the subject Of growing oats came up,
and this gentleman remarked that Mr.
W. j. Northen, of Hancock, had been
heard toesay shat he had kept an accu-
rate account of the different farm
products raised or grown on his farm,
and that he had realized more clear
money on sheep than on any other
farm product; snd that next to sheep
he had realized moreyclear profit from
growing oats.
As the season is near ct hand when
farmers sow fall oats, it occurred to
the writer that the readers of the Cat-
tirotor would be pleased TO hear from
Mr.. W. j. Northen on tile subject OF
oats raising. Does Mr.. Northen sow
Red rust-proof oats or has he found
some variety less likely to be killed by
hard winters? A short time since /
received letter from Mr.. John n.
Dent, of Cherokee, Ca, and be sug-
gested that ] should write an article
on eats for the CWlticator. Mr.. Dent
says in his section Of Georgia the Red
rust-proof oats are failure as they
are too liable to be killed by cold win.
tiers. he said for number Of years
he was enthused on the subject of Red
rust-proof oats, but he has now aban-
doned them. He thinks they are suit
ed for more tropical climate where
the winters are mild and the springs
are humid.
Mr.. Dent saws: s'The oats I want
is hardy variety that stands cold and
grows tail, for l value straw as much
as the gram: 7 wan, long straw so
that can cut high, and have heavy
stubble to turn under for the benefit
of the land" This, I presume, is the
variety that most farmers are after.
Let us hear from you, Mr.. Editor, on
this question. For number of years
an oats club in Baldwin county has
been experimenting in growing large
crops of oats, but do not know what
variety is, sovn. Some large yields
have been published as grown by men
in that section. In 1882, Mr.. ". F.
Dewberry, who is neighbor of mine,
had field of eight acres that he
thought made 100 bushels per acre; he
did not, however, measure them. DR..
Moss. of Monroe, made 137 bushels
that yesr On an acre. Some six or
eight yeaEsago, Mr.. JIM Rose, Of
Epson county, made 1SS bushels per
acre on plat of eight acres. Three
years ago The writer made sixty-four
bushels Red rast-proof oats on an acre
of land that was only moderately good
land; but ii alSz7 the writer soWed on
the 10th day Of August oats in field
of thin gray land he had in cotton at
the LAST blowing be gave his cotton.
The yield was twenty bushels per acre,
and as the cost OF the crop was simply
what it cost to cut them they did not
cost TO lay them down at the crib over
five cents per bushel.
But on the following year he sowed
again at heglasts blowing Of cotton,
but August end September were very,
hot and dry so that the oats were badly
killed by heat. OF all the varieties OF
oats sowH in this section, none have
yielded such large crops aspthe Red.
rust-proof; but they haEe become too
uncertain acrop TO rely on.
Does,tae editor know anything about
the ssTom Smith" oats? It is said Of
them that they grow tall on poor land
and yield. we'll. If such is the fact.
and they are. rust-proof, it would be
we'll for the farmers to give them
trial. In the August number of the
C3lticator, for the year 1884, page 257.
Bill Arp. says seed eats and wheat
ought to come, from south of the Sec
ton in which they are sown. Let the
farmers also,hear from the editor on
this subject. Has he tried the plan of
sowing oats from more southern, lati-
tude, and if SO, what was the resalt?
One of my neighbors, Mr. A. c. Jack
son, brought some oats from Macon
countys kaown in that section as the
'sChapnnan'' oats, because Mr.. William
Chapman, of. Dooly, first brought
them in, that section. They are, how
ever, the same as the "Burt' oats. /
obtained one Sbushel of tins variety of
oats and sowed them the lst of March ;;
used acid phosphate Oh them at the
rate Of 200 pounds per acre., The oats
grew tall but the grain was very light.
I shalig not sow them again. Men
differ in regard to the time to sow Red
rust-proos oats. Capt. McMullin, of
Monroe, who was very successful
oats grower, said from the Goth Of
September to the 10 Of October was
the proper time tossed that variety Of
oats. Mr.. Thomas Marshall, of Mon
roe, who is also q successful oats
grower. prefers to begin sowing the
10th of December and sow until
Christmas NV observation is that