Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-06-11
THE oAT CROP.


Mountain Regions of the South.
The earth was given to man as an in
heritance which he was to subdue and
to cultivate. The word subdue implies
antagonsm, and this related to soil and
climate both. The soils given to weeds
in preference, naturally, to useful plants, {
and the most valuable crops have to
contend with unfavorable climatic con-
ditions. The farmer has to meet and {
contend with and vanqush most OF
these difficulties, and in this respect the
oat crop gives him more trouble than al
most any other, for it is poorly {
adapted to the American climate, and
vet It is one of the most valuable to the
farmer. In its most favorable climate
and soil the oat vies with barley IN
weight and substance and surpasses It'll
Weld. In Ireland and Scotland, where
the climate is cool and the summers are
long, giving heightened season OF
growth, and where the rainfall is large
and continuous, this grain grows top per
lection, reaching a weight OF nifty
pounds to the measured bushel and
Weld of eighty bushels to the acre. Be-
sides this, its vigor of growth and its
hardness are such that it retains this
weight and yield in our adverse climate
for at least one or two years, and FOL
longer when it is grown under the most
favorable circumstances. 1t is thus one
of the best grains for the farmer to cx-
pend his care and skill upon, because il
Is one of the most valuable crops he can
produce.
As regards soil the cat is by no means
exacting. 1t does best upon cool.
moist, sandy loan, but it will thrive
upon clay soils if these are well pre-.
pared for it, 1t pays well for liberal |
manuring, and thrives best with conf
post in which decayed vegetable matter
| Is abundant or in fall-plowed sod
ground. 1t does well on peaty soils and
newly-reclaimed meadow land. But it
must be sown early in the spring or ii
will fail to make satisfactory crop.
and this is the point to which attention
should be directed. Early sowing is re-
CURED for two reasons. One Is to Sc
cure the longest possible growing season
necessary for the proper development
of the plant, and the other is to afford
the requisite GOODNESS as far as possible.
1t is impossible to SOW oats early enough
to get COOL crop on spring-plowcd
land. The land should be plowed in the
fall and put in the right condition for
seeding, as if itwere to be sown at once.
This is to leave the burrows as they have
been turned as even and regular as
possible. In the spring the seed may
be sown directly upon the soil so left as
soon as the upper four inches are free
from frost and are dry. This generally
happens in March in the Northern
States and in February in the South. A
narrowing, or working with a Guilt
vator which does the best work,
across the burrows covers the
seed deeply and evenly, and the
SUMS warmth above and the cool
ness below furnish precisely the best
conditions for the successful growth of
the young plants. If this golden OPP
) portunity is lost the sowing will be de-
iayed a month or more, for the soil will
be too wet and soft when the frost has
entirely gone, or rains will occur, or the
land will be too dry to insure germina-
/, ton soon enough to get the benefit Of
! the coolest weather, and our sudden
American summer, leaping from the
lap OF winter without any intervening
spring, gives no opportunity for Thu
grain to make its requisite slow growth
The excessive heat following lat
season brings on rust, or if the plant es
capes this danger the dryness and tn,
! forced rapid growth prevent the filling
4 of the grain, which is then light AM
u chaffy. This is especially noticeable
!, in the Southern States, where with suit
& able management this crop might b
grown with much success, but where
i rarely produces grain of more thai
twenty-five pounds to the bushel undo
} the prevailing method of growing il
q which is to SOW it in the fall and subjec
q = it to all the disadvantages of an opel
y Southern winter.
" We have known crop Of spring-sow
u u Scotch oats, the seed imported weighin
~ iifty-one pounds to the measured busf
!. ell, to produce more than seventy bush
" els to the acre, measured, and the graf
- weighed forty-eight pounds to the busl
81 cl. This seed was sown in Februal
" against the urgent remonstranccs of
i' neighboring farmer, who averred TIL
spring-sown oats could never make
a crop in the South. The oats were e.
lt tircly free from rust except in sma
ei portion of the field for which no manu-
&. could be procured. Here the straw stoC
-; eighteen Inches high only, while on Il
~ rest of the field it was five to six feet
vi height, and some of the heads we
-, twenty inches in length. Indeed, Il
II mountain region of the South Is pee
- liarly well adapted for growing oats
u. perfection, because of the early sow!l
I ID. possible and the long, cool, grown
I'LL season, and this large and favored d
. trict might easily be made the grana
80 for this crop for the South States, al
, s produce seed equal to the best that
700 imported if the farmers there won
turn their attention to it.
One necessity for this crop is we
MANFRED soil 1t is supposed to be ca
NO. on the land, and so is made to follc
corn in the common rotation. Blu
her crop which contains two per cent.
ia nitrogen and the ash of which has
,io teen per cent. of potash and twenty-o
'oe per cent. of phosphoric acid, and
IS therefore ,wo-thirds rs exhaustive of
be soil as so much wheat, can not justly
t is considered as easy on the land. On
los, contrary, it is far too cxacting in t
oy, respect to be grown successfully af
" corn and without any manure, a
Dry with the very inadequate and hurr
peu preparation given to it as a rule and
n y usual tardy sowing This crop is
ana valuable to be sighted in the PREVAIL
ny, manner 1t demands and will pay W
ouV for the most careful cultivation and
run should be based on an accurate kno
'es' elge of its natural habits and nece
ue, ties, and in addition to this the S,
heu should be most carefully selected
le Oh Hnry SteUart, in N. Y. Times.
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