Semi-weekly south Kentuckian., 1886-07-06
The OAr CROP.
1t Can be Raised to Perfection In the
Mountain Regions of the South.

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
antagonism, and this related to soil and
climate both. The soil is given to weeds
in npreference, 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 vanquish 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
yet 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 in
yield. In Ireland and Scotland, where
the climate is cool and the summers are
long, giving a heightened season OF
growth, and where the rainfall is large
and continuous, this grain grows to per-
fection, reaching weight of fifty
pounds to the measured bushel and a
yield 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 for
longer when it is grown under the most
favorable circumstances. 1t is thus one
of the best grains for the farmer to ex-
pend his care and skill upon, because II
is one of the most valuable crops he can
produce.
As regards soil the oat 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 a COM
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 a satisfactory crop.
and this is the point to which attention
should be directed. Early sowing is re-
quircd 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 coolness as far as possible.
1t is impossible to SOW oats early enough
to get gool crop on spring-plowed
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 furrows 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 cult
vator, which does the best work,
across the furrows covers the
seed deeply and evenly, and the
suns 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-
layed 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 this
grain to make its requisite slow growth.
The excessive heat following q late
season brings on rust or if the plant es-
capes this danger the dryness and the
forced rapid growth prevent the filing
of the grain, which is then light and
chaffy. This is especially noticeable
in the Southern States, where with suit
able management this crop might be
grown with much success, but where Il
rarely produces grain of more thar
twenty-five pounds to the bushel under
the prevailing method of growing it
which is to sow it in the fall and subject
it to all the disadvantages OF an open
Southern winter.
We have known crop Of spring-sowr
Scotch oats, the seed imported weighing
fifty-one pounds to the measured bush,
ell, to produce more than seventy bush
els to the acre, measured, and the grain
weighed forty-eight pounds to the bush
el. This seed was sown in February
against the urgent remonstrances of {
neighboring farmer, who averrcd thai
spring-sown oats could never make s
crop in the South. The oats were en-
tircly free from rust except in small
portion Of the field for which no manure
could be procured. Here the straw stoot
eighteen inches high only, while on the
2 rest of the field it was five to six feet IL
height, and some of the heads wert
twenty inches in length. Indeed, tht
mountain region of the South is pecu-
liarly well adapted for growing oats tc
perfection, because of the early sowing
possible and the long, cool, growing
season, and this large and favored dis
trict might easily be made the granary
for this crop for the South States, an(
produce seed equal to the best that il
imported if the farmers there woulC
turn their attention to it.
One necessity for this crop is q well