Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-04-24
EXPERIMENTS w,rn oATs.

1
Summary OF Investig.tions Made at the
Illinois Agricultural Experiment Sta
| ton.
Bulletins Z and have been issued
from the agricultural experiment sta
ton of the University of Illinois. They
contain 112 pages-reports of expert
ments on the biology of silage, oats,
field and sweetc corn. These bulletins will
be sent without charge to any one inter
ested in farming. Address Agricultural
| Experiment Station, Champaign, Ill
The following summary IS given of
| the experiments with oats;
| l. In 1888 the largest yield was pro-
| duced when the two and one half bushels
| per acre was sown; in 1889 when three and
one-half bushels was sown. Both years
! considered the yield was related to the
quantity of seed sown from most to
| least as follows: Three and one-half,
| four, three, two and one-half, two, one
and one-half and one.
2. A medium loose seed-bed gave a
| larger yield in both seasons than a COM
pact or very loose seed-bed.
3. Almost without exception the
earlier the seeding the larger the yield
| and the greater the weight per bushel.
Oats sown March IA, 1889, yielded one
half more than those sown April 4, and
nearly twice as much as those sown
April Is.
4. Between one and four inches in
depth the differences in yield do not in
dictate with certainty that the depth of
sowing affected the results.
5. In many cases varieties of oats
under distinct names resemble each
other so closely. as to be practically
Identical
6. Thirty-three plats. including va
rteties under thirty names, gave the
rather low average of forty-one bushels
per acre. The largest yield was fifty
four and the least thirty bushels per
acre.
z. There was an average of somewhat
less than two pounds Il. "a 1bs.) of straw
Tor each pound of grain. The variation
in the yield of straw was a little less
than that of the grain.
8. The following varieties gave the
largest yields, in the order named:
Giant yellow French, early Dakota
white, improved American, Japan.
white bonanza and American banner;
while Canadian black, Virginia winter,
white Belgian, black Tartarian and
Texas rust proof gave the poorest
yields.
9. All things considered the earlier
ripening varieties were probably the
more desirable.
10. Neither the length, plumpness
nor weight of berry nor the weight per
bushel appreciably Influenced the yield.
IL. The white varieties were consid-
erably superior in yield and weight per
bushel to the black and dun-colored va
rieties.
~. The varieties with closed panicles
yielded somewhat better than those with
open panicles.
Is. The average per cent. of kernel in
the berries as sown was 69.6 per cent.
and 65. per cent. in the crop. The
largest individual difference between
two varieties was 1913 per cent. in the
seed and 1877 in the crop. This extreme
difference between two varieties would
make difference of $50, 900, 900 if ap-
piled to the annual crop of the United
States. Differences, apparently not be-
yond the control of the farmer, would
make difference of eight to nine mill
ions in the annual value of the crop.
IA. Those varieties which contained
the higher per cent. of kernel in the
berry in the seed tsown con tanned on an
the average higher per cent. in the crop
and gave the largeryields.