The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1890-05-07
EXPERIMENTS w,rH OATS.

Summary Of Investigations Made ut the
Illinois Agricultural Experiment Sta.
ti0n.
Bulletins and 8 have been issued
from the agricultural experiment sta
ton Of the University of Illinois. They
contain liz pages-reports of expert
ments on the biology Of silage, oats,
field and sweet corn. These bulletins will
be sent without charge to any one inter-
ested in farming. Address Agricultural
Experiment Station, Champaign, III.
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-ha,f, two one
and one-half and one.
3 A medium loose seed-bed gave a
larger yield in both seasons than a com.
pact or very loose seed bed.
8. Almost without exception the
earlier the seeding the larger the yield
and the greater the weight per bashel.
Oats sown March IA, 1889, yielded one
half more than those sown April 4, and
nearly twice as much as those sown
April 1s
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.
9. Thirty-three plats. including va
rieties 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.
2. There was an average Of somewhat
less than two pounds (1.S4 lbs. } OF straw
for each pound of grain. The variation
in the yield Of straw was 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 pei
bushel appreciably influenced the Yield.
II. The white varieties were consid-
erably superior in yield and weight per
bushel to tho black and dun-colored va.
rieties.
~. The varieties with closed panic
yielded somewhat better than those with
open panicles.
10. The average per cent. Of kernel il
the berries as sown was 69.6 per cent
and G5.l per cent. in the crop. Tht
largest individual difference between
two varieties was 1913 per cent. in thu
seed and 1877 in the crop. This extreme
difference between two varieties would
make a difference of $3.50, 900 Il ap
piled to the annual crop of the Unitet
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 tn
berry in the seed ssown contained on al
the average higher per cent. in the GRO
and gave the largeryields.