The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-10-29
Exnerimeu,s With Oats.
FNper1mtntS WIH VHt5s Press Bulletin Mo- 27, Alabama Exper iment Station.

Press Bulletin NO. I', Aidpaiiid rAPei-
 iment Station.
 Bulletin No. 137 of the Alabama Ex- neriment Station, is now October lS, 19O6) being mailed to all addresses on our mailing list rapidly as the pos tai authorities can handle the bulletins It and future bulletins will be sent to any new address on application A brief summary of this bulletin fol- lows:
 Oats may bc made a much more profitable crop in Alabama than at pres ent if farmers will make the two changes in the usual method of caring for the crop: ID Sowing in the early or middle fall; I2) Applying nitrate of soda as a top dressing in March. or sowing on land where soil-improv- ing crop like COW peas has recently grown.
 In tests of varieties extending over a number of years there was little diff ference in the yields of Red Rust Proof, Applpr and Culberson when sown in the fall These three varieties are practically identical, When sown after Christmas the Burt or May oats aver aged per cent. less grain than did the Red Rust Proof variety.
 Turf or Grazing oats sown in No vember afforded only 59 per cent. as much grain as Red Rust Proof oats sown at the same time. Tho order of ripening of the principal varieties sown in the fall was Burt. Red Rust Proof and Turf
 Red Rust Proof oats may b" distin- guished from other varieties by the long boards, by the brownish yellow color and plumpness of the grain, ana bv the greater length of the tiny hairs or briStles located dt the pdsc oi ''' lower >rain
 Red Rust Proof and related varieties or strains constitute the best gen eral purpose type of oats for this re- zion. being suitable for either 1all or February sowing. and having stitfcr straw and greater rust-resistance than any other variety tested.
 The average of seven experiments made in seven different years shows that Red oats sown in November aN- craged l13 bushels per acre more than when soWn in February. This IS profit of $5.65 per acre, or an increase of B per cent. as the result ot sowing in the fall. october is advised TOT iall sowing. and the first few days m CD mary for spring sowing in this lati- tude.
 vitrorcnous fertilizers have been rnuch more profitable than phosphat" or potash on the sandy and loamy Solls at Auburn but it is recommended thau on such soils at least 100 pounds or acid phosphate be applied at th" tlln" of sowing oats,
 Among the various nttrogenons l'r- tiliZers a pound of nitrogen or aol-. lar of investment has been most elect i've in nitrate of soda, and somewhat more effective in the form "t cotton seed meal tldn of cotton seed h"h citber cotton seed or cotton seed meal ts nsed it should be applied at the time .of sowing, but nitrate of soda Is most useful when used in March.
 Rarnyard manure greatly increased the yield of the crop of oats to Whl'h il was applied, and eXerted some "fert on the next crop. In one eAPfiI Ili'oh' i, reaulrcd 43l pounds of nitrat" of soda and 1o3 pounds of acid phosphate (costing together $1.19) to aHord me same increase as one ton of fine. tresh- uuleached horse manure.
 In thirteen experiments with nitrate of soda the yield and total profit per acre Increased with the amount "f h'- ;rHtr applied mp to 200 pounds per acre, However, the smaller appllcd tons were nor" economical. The cost uf nitrate of soda required to produce ono additional bushel of oats was l4.9 cents from the use uf 63 pounds per aero; I7.7 cents when nitrate was ap- piled at the rate of 100 pounds, ana 21l cents when 900 pounds Of nitrate of soda was used per acre. The Slal est application afforded a profit over tl,e cost of the fertilizer of 249 per cent. inc use of loo pounds of nitrate Der acre returned a profit of 2o6 per cent. on the cost of the fertilizer, while the heaviest application resulted Tn Il net profit of 14O per cent. The three different amounts of nitrate of soda gave profits per acre of $4-73 Tor the light application. $6l9 for the lo' pound application, and $S 40 Tor tne 900 pound application. Sixty to 100 rounds ot nitrate of soda is recommen- ded to he applied as to top dressing on oats in March.
 No nitrogen need h" purchased for oats, provided the oats be sown alter