Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-04-18

OF the previous seasons growth. In'
corn stubble Is sometimes ploughed II
the fall In order to get the seed into th'
ground earlier In the spring, but my ex'
perience Is that the crop Is better or
spring ploughed z md.
Formerly. In Northern Pennsylvanis,
barley or spring wheat sometimes fol-
lowed corn, both crops (like oats) COM
ing of the.ground In time to sow it with
wheat. Barley was soon discarded on
account Of its dagger-like boards making
il troublesome TO handle. Spring wheat
WAS abandoned because both quality and
yield Of the grain were inferior To those
Of winter whest, and IL wss cousidered
objectionable to follow wheat With wheat
in the same rotation.
Oats are the cereal which In the Uuit-d
States stands third ia Importance, Ms re-
CARDS the number OF acres cultivated,
corn being first and wheat second. They
stand fourth "a regards the value per
acre, barley being first, wheat, cora and
osts following.
Tskiug the five years from 1898 10
1897, inclusive, the average yield OF oats
per acre was tweuty-six bushels ; average
value Of oats per acre was S6 25 average
WELD of corn per acre, tsenty-four
bushels; average value of corn per
4crp. 81 30: average yield Of wheat per
acre, twelve aud Que half huSh"is; aver
age value of wheat per acre, 81 50;
average Yield Of barley per acre, %
bushels; average value of barley per
per acre, SOS.
Ii must no, be understood that these
were the net values per acre Of the above
crops; the cost OF production must be
deducted before the clear profits are ar
rived at. In the case OF corn, although
il brings more per acre than oats, II re-
quires so much more labor for tillsge
aud harvesting that with Us II Is consid-
cred less profitable crop to grow than
oats.
The five states Of New York, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Iowa aud Kansas produced
In the year 1857 nearly 81 per cent OF the
whole crop raised In the United States
Iowa was the banner state, producing
nearly l0i ,0o0, 900 bushels, or more than
II per cent OF the whole.
All the varieties Of oats belong TO the
genus Avens, which comprises the wild
oats as we'll as the cultivated species.
There are three pretty well defined
classes of cultivated oats. The mos,
common varieties have the husks, or
hulls, adherent. aud these are divided into
two classes, Ia the one Of which-ss an
example, the potsto oats-the panicle,
which produces the kernels, branches
from either side OF the stem, while on
the other the heads branch only on one
side OF the stem, as, for instance, the
Hungarian, sometimes called "side oats.
There are also naked varieties Ia which
the kernels separate from the hulls and
are called Chinese oats and hull-less oats.
Oats grow on all kinds OF soil, from
heavy clsys to light sands, and on moist
aud dry soils, but sre the most At home
and flourish the best In a cooler and
moister climate than that which IL best
adapted 10 winter wheat. Eighty per
cent Of the crop In the United States IL
raised at an altitude OF from 500 10 800
fee, above the level of the sea, and more
than one-hsn the crop grows where the
mean annual temperature Is between ~
and 80 degrees. About five-sixths OF the
crop grows where the January temper
sture il below the freezing point. There
are winter varieties Of oats, rs there are
of wheat, rye and barley, but these are
not much cultivated. Foar-tifths OF the
crop Is raised where the mean annual
rainfall Is between 80 and IS inches, and
where the spring and summer rainfall Is
between Is and - inches. 10 the hot,
dry climates about the Mediterranean and
- stward TO Palestine, this grain does
not grow well, and IL less raised than
b ,rley. II l. not mentioned In the Bible
(Solomon fed bis horses on barlev) but
was cultivated in Italy In small way a.
early as the Christian era IS food for
horses IL was cultivated by the pre-
historic inhabitants OF Europe, for IL has
ben found In the rem-ins OF their lake
habitstions Ia Saitzsrland. In Central
and North-rn Europe, where il grows
best, It's cultivation became very impor-
tant as soon ss the people became civil
izsd, snd in some Of the cool, moist cli-
IN ,tes of the north oecsme the most im-
portaur cereal used for bread. In SCOT
land particularly il became the chief
bread plsut of the people, aud one-fifth
OF the arabic land was devoted 10 IL. IL
VAS also the chief bread plant Of the sd-
j.cent islands, and Of Norway and
Sweden. To mske light lo~f OF bread
from oatmeal Is extremely difficult, and
Il WIS generally used as At present, for
making batter cakes, and by boiling the
NEIL In water, and making oatmeal pud-
ding. or mush, 20 be eaten with milk
The weight Of oats varies in different
localities, and In the same locality in
different seasons all the way from 20 10
46 pounds per measured bushel In CON-
mereial transactions ~ pounds IL con-
sidered bushel, and that Is also legal
weight iu most of the states.
Asa fodder for cattle on the farm ost
straw Is considered TO be more valuable
than sny other kind. Ii being softer and
having more leaves cattle prefer IL, and
when secured In good order. and bright,
Young cattle have been vintered on IL
without any hay or grain. Wintering
entirely on straw, however, Is not sdvis-
able, as young cattle should be kept
growing all the time. IL hsy Is scarce
the straw should be cut, moistened, and
A little meal spriukled on IL.
Oats produce n large quantity OF ex-
cellenr fodder when cut aud cured in the
green state like grass, and are largely
used as forage crop 10 the states south
of Virginia and Kentucky, and east OF
Arkansas, where II Is more diff ,ult 10
produce large crops Of hay from grass
They are also grown In the south for
pasture. In California also they are
grown 70 some extent for forage. They
leave the ground In good condition for
the succeeding crop by furnishing a
dense shade, and keep down the growth
of weeds. In regard TO the method Of
rsising oats, not much needs TO be said.
The ground Is prepared as for other
spring crops, sometimes being ploughed
In the fall where the soil is benefited BY
fall ploughing, and well narrowed In the
spring. The seed. about two bushels per
acre. Ia sown broadcast and narrowed
In. or put In with drill.
OF course, oats vary greatly in the
amount Of meal they will produce after
the hulls are removed-only the best
kinds will produce half their weight in
meal. IL Is claimed by some that oat-
meal Is the most nutritious Of all sub
stances prepared from the cereals, but it
IL doubtful whether it is more nourish-
ing than crscked wheat. Formerly oat-
meal was but sparingly used in this
country for human food, but the con-
sumption has increased enormously dur
ing the last twenty years, and II Ia now
found in sll the groceries aud stores,
1 ha Wa.tora frnntiavo and ho p