The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-09-06

variety to SOW the entire area is always reserved
until no longer needed.
HOW TO sow-soPENF BURROWS"
During the years 1890 to 1895 the station found
that oats sown in drills Is to "a inches apart in
variably gave a larger yield than when sown
broadcast and plowed or narrowed ID. In itself
this was an important result of experiments to
that end. But a more important discovery is
the fact that when the seed are sown in open fur
rows and barely covered, leaving the burrows
open or untitled, the oat plants are very much
less liable to be killed by a severe freeze. The
idea was conceived several years ago, and an
nually since we have sown the larger portion
the fall-sown area in drills Is to "a inches apart,
latterly using a CAN'T fertilizer distributor. This
sows but one row at a time, has no covering at
| tachment, but simply opens a small furrow and
sows the seed, the single wheel following IN the
furrow and barely covering the seed. The result
is the plants come up one and a half to two
inches below the general surface, and the
Grown of each plant is formed and establis'
say two to two and a half inches below the gen
eral surface. The winter rains, light freezes and
thaws, gradually, but only partly, fill in the open
furrow, and the more vital and sensitive Of
of the plants are left at the original depths, be-
low the reach of even very severe freezes.
The long anticipated freeze at last came and
our theory was put to a crucial test. On Feb
ruary s, 1899, the thermometer sank to fifteen de-
grees, followed ON successive mornings by 10 and
II degrees. On the 18th, it was down to eleven
degrees, and on the morning of the 18th it stood
at seven degrees below ero-the coolest day since
February 8, 1885. The result was, fa1l-sown
oats and January-sown oats were pretty general
ly destroyed everywhere. But our open furrow
drilled oats, executing two acres, stood the test
remarkably well, and though seriously injured,
made forty bushels to the acre.
In order to make more sure of the correct
ness of the preconceived theory that the open fur
rows would secure the oats from fatal freezing,
on the one-acre sections that were sown in open
burrows. in every alternate tenth of an tho
burrows were filed UP flush by running over them
with a clod-crusher and smoother. The result
was that the oats on these alternate tenths were
almost entirely destroyed, not one plant in ten
surviving the severe freeze, and the plots were
resown with the spring oats. But Tho
tenths, the burrows of which we're left open, al
though severely injured, produced forty bushels
of grain per acre, or more than half of the expect
ed full crop.
When carefully drilled, one and a half to two
bushels of oats are sufficient for an acre; when
broadcasted, from three to four bushels of the
same oats are required for one acre.
The foregoing is an extract from a bulletin is
sued by the Georgia Experiment Station in 1899.
Five years further experience since the fore
going was published, fully confirms the conclu-
sions then reached. The following remarks may
be added:
Sixteen inches apart is probably the best width
between the oat burrows.
The oats may be sown in a cotton field. without
further preparation than the previous clean Gull
ture of the cotton. In this case two burrows
may be sown in each middle"
In all cases the burrows should be laid on a level
in order to secure best results.
The CAN'T and the Carmical seed and fertilizer
drills are now made with two spouts, one for the
seed oats and one for the fertilizer, the oats being
sown through the forward spout.
1t has not been found necessary to use the
covering attachment, the loose soil falling in i'm
mediately following the opening fve-inch shovel
Cor short scooter? covering the oats sufficiently.
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