Lancaster enterprise. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1891-1905, 1903-08-26
WINTER KILLING OATS.
How to Prevent the Same-Meth-
cd Practiced by Il Successful
Georgia Farmer For
Eight Years


prominent farmer of this county
as to how to prevent the winter
killing of oats, Col. r. j. Re6ding
director of the Georgia Ex peri
ment Station, has sent the follow
ing letter which is an answer
based on practical experience:
My Dear Sir: | have your
favor of the Oath making inquiry
in regard to method discovered
by this station to prevent winter
killing of oats. In reply | beg
to say, that Bulletin A on wheat,
oats, rye, and barley, issued in
September, 1899, which gave a
detailed description of the meth
cd, is out of print, so great the
demand has been for it. The
following is an outline of the
method:
First prepare the ground as it
should be done, by deep blowing
and narrowing off the surface.
This should be done early in Oc-
tober Oh before; or at such time
In the fail as the ground may be
found in good order. In this lat
itude | advise sowing fall oats
from the 18th of October to the
1st Of November. The plan in
sowing the oats in open burrows
is 16 to IS inches apart. Run
burrows from northeast to south
west winds. The burrows are
opened by five-inch shovel on a
small seed and fertilizer distrib-
utor, manufactured and sold by
L. j. CAN'T, Macon, Ga. The spout
conducting the seed oats into the
furrow, is Immediately behind
the plow share that opens the
furrow. The seed fall into the
furrow and are covered more or
less by the loose soil falling in
Immediately behind the plow.
This will be sufficient covering.
The wheel follows Immediately
behind, running directly in the
furrow and presses the loose soil
on the bottom Of the furrow on
the seed oats. This covers the
seed sufficiently. Occasionally a
skip of a foot or two may be
made, but this will be covered by
the first rainfall washing in the
soil from the sides of the furrow.
Before sowing the oats we fertiI-
IZe with a mixture Of 20C pounds
of acid phosphate, so pounds OF
murlate of potash, ,and $50 pounds
of cotton seed meal. This fertil-
izer should not be put in direct
contact with the seed oats. 1t
may be distributed by che of the
machines above referred to, run
ming ahead 20 be followed by an
other machine which sows the
| grain. Or you may get a double
spout distributor which will sow
both the fertilizer aud the seed
oats in the same furrow and at
the same time; the oats being
sown from the forward spout.and
the fertilizer from the rear. The
oats will come up in the bottom
of this furrow which will be three
inches or more In depth, and will
be protected from severe freezes
because of the depth of the plants
and especially the crowns of the
plants below the general surface
Of the soil. Each succeeding rain
fall will wash in a little soil and
cover the plants little deeper.
Planting the seed in the open fur
row gives a very deep roofing to
the plants, making it very diff
cult to pull up a bunch after they
have made considerable growth.
We have tried this plan for
seven or eight years, and have
rarely had any serious injury.
In fact, only once have we had a
cold sufficiently severe to injure
! them when sown In this way.