The Grit-advocate., 1903-01-16
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HORTICULTURE
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The Oat Crop.

From Farmers Review: The C2t
crop more than any other upon the
farm is usually given the poorest op-
portunity to grow. 1t is oftentimes
made to follow corn. AS both get their
food near the surface it takes rich
soil to produce good crop of corn and
good crop Of oats Quite often the
ground is worked wet, which results
not only in a cloddy seed bed for the
oats but makes the ground difficult of
getting in condition for a future crop.
Oats respond readily to improved con-
ditions. The growing plant revels in
a well prepared seeded containing an
abundance of plant food. 1t is rapid
growing plant, having but few really
warm spring and summer days in
which to grow and mature seed. In
order to do its work we'll it requires
thorough preparation of the soil and
careful attention to the quality of the
seed. The selection of seed oats is Of
very great importance and is probably
neglected more than the selection of
any other seed upon the farm. The
fan mill should be used upon the seed
oats to take out all foreign material
and to grade the seed. Unclean seed
usually produces crop containing
great number of smutty heads.
Formalin Treatment-The appear.
ance of smut in the oat crop usually
results in loss in yield Of ten to
twenty-five per cent. This loss can
be entirely prevented by treating the
seed oats with formalin and sowing
in land where oats have not prev-
ously grown. There are two methods
of treatment-immersion and sprinkl,
ing. When the oats are immersed it
is necessary to have the formalin solu.
tion in tanks or barrels, and the oats
in loosely woven sacks. Leave plenty
of room in the sack to permit moving
the oats freely about when immersed
The sack should be filled not more
than two-thirds full. The formalin
solution consists of one pound of for
malin to sixty gallons of water. After
the seed has been well stirred so that
every grain has come in contact with
the solution allow the sack to remain
immersed in the solution from one to
two hours. Then lift the sack, allow
it to drain in the vessel for few min
utes, pour out the oats on a canvas or
floor and allow them to dry. The
seed is then ready to SOW. Be sure
to put treated seed in sacks that have
been immersed to prevent a second
incubation of the seed from un-
treated sacks. If the time given to
immersion must be shorter than that
mentioned strengthen the solution to
about one pound of formalin to every
As or so gallons of water. If large
quantities of seed are to be treated in
crease the number of barrels or vessels
containing the solution. If the sprinkl-
ing method Is to be used, spread the
seed thinly on a canvas or floor and
sprinkle over it with a watering can,
or still better spray pump, forma-
lin solution consisting of one pound
of formalin to forty-five gallons of
water. After the sprinkling has been
thoroughly done, gather the grain in.
to conical piles and cover over with
canvas "a horse blanket or an old
carpet will answer the purpose) from
two to four hours. After the seed has
been spread again and dried, it is
ready for use. The cost of this treat.
ment is only about four or five cents to
the acre, and the formalin may be
purchased at any good drug store.-W
B. Anderson.