The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-09-05
FARMERS COLUMNS.
THE GEORGIA EXPERIMENT STATION,
EXPERIMENT., GA.


Fall Oats.
IL may be thought rather early to
write about sowing oats, but it is well
to call attention to the Importance and
value OF the crop some weeks in ad.
vance of the earliest period of sowing
the seed. Many farmers "lost seed"
last season, and will find it difficult to
procure sufficiency of planting seed
OF desirable varieties. On the Station
Farm every acre of oats sown in Octo-
Der and November LAST was utterly de.
stroyed by the severe cold weather OF
december and again in February. But
shls has not discouraged US, nor viii
we be dissuaded from sowing oats in
the fall, because of the danger of an.
other such disaster. Such a mishap has
occurred before and will occur again
but our experience Of the superior yield
and quality Of fall sown oats, fully JUS
titles the risk of winter-killing. 1t is
good plan to sow in the fall the main
crop, or even the entire desired area,
reserving plenty Of seed with which to
re-sow the same land in the spring, il
the fall sown should be killed. 1t IL
deslra BILE to have two varieties of oats,
one that is better adapted to withstand
cold, for sowing in the fall, and the
other quicker maturing variety for
spring sowing. The main crop may be
sown OF the frst variety, and few
acres-enough to produce plenty OF
seed. even II 9, bad season for spring
oats should occur. We have been on
the lookout for q "cold proof or strict
ly winter oat," but have as vet found
none that is strictly proof against q
very low temperature. The so-called
winter Turf oat is good, prolific
variety, but it succumbed to the cold
weather of February 8, when the mer-
curry fell to 20 degrees above zero, after
having survived temperature of
degrees, December 90, and degrees,
January IS. We still hold to a good
strain of the Texas Rust-proof oat,
such as the "Appler" has proven to be
after several years trial. The latter,
however, is very little better than its
original-the Texas.
AS an illustration of the policy of
sowing the main crop In the fall and
Resolving the same land in the spring
in case the fall sown should be killed
by freezing, and as also illustrating
the value Of Nitrate of Soda as top
dressing in the spring, l give the fol-
lowing:
EXPERIMENT IN DAT CULTURE.
Ten acres of corn land (mostly) were
sown to oats in October and November,
sowing from 2 to g bushels of seed per
acre, and a fertilizer formula of 200 lbs.
of Acid Phosphate, so pounds of Mu-
rate of Potash and 400 pounds of cot
ton meal per acre. An average yield
of so bushels per acre was expected.
The entire crop, however, was killed
as already noted. During the last week
in February the entire area was re-
sown. mostly with the Burt" or INC.
Cullough" oat, rapid growing, early
variety. No fertilizer whatever was
applied at this time, acting on the the
DRY that the fertilizer applied in the
fall was still retained in the leaves and
roots of the oat plants that had been
killed, and in the soil.
Early in April so pounds of Nitrate
of Soda, per acre, were sown on the
surface. One of the best acres on which
the Burt oat was. growing. was divided
into 10 equal parts. Nine of these
parts received the Nitrate of Soda at
the rate of so pounds per acre. The
tenth plat received no Nitrate The
resulting yield per acre on this section
was as follows: The portions topdress-
ed with Nitrate yielded a: the rate of
80 bushels (32 pounds) per acre the
portion not nitrated yielded at the rate
of AZ bushels; difference in favor of the
nitrated portions-1S bushels per acre
The conditions were especially favora-
BILE for good crop of spring oats, the
rainfall being abundant but not excess
sive. The remaining nine acres, all
top-dressed with the same amounts per
acre of Nitrate Of Soda, yielded an av-
erage of 40 bushels per acre.