Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-27
FARMERS PICNIC
A GREAT SUCCESS
BETWEEN 1000 AND 5000 PEOPLE
VISITED COUNTY FARM
THURSDAY.
PROFESSOR NELSON ON
OATS EXPERIMENT WORK
Results of the First Years Plot Yields
at County Farm Given - Professor
Bowman Talks on Value Of Good
Seed in Both Oats and corn-Base-
ball Ganes in Afternoon.

A day that was trifle too hot for
any great degree of comfort, but plenty
Of shade, ice water and refreshments
to cool the inner man, a Jolly, good
natured, happy crowd of between 1000
and 5000 people, who came by train, in
carriages, and automobiles, from all
corners of the county, entertaining and
highly instructive addresses on topics
of great interest to those assembled,
good music. and other entertaining
features-this, in few words, is the
story OF the fifth annual picnic OF the
farmers of Marshall county, held at
the county farm Thursday.
Not single incident occurred to in
any way mar the pleasure of the day.
Superintendent j. C. Koontz did every
thing that could be done to add to the
colsfort of the visitors, and for his
watchfulness and care he was the re-
cipient of praise on all Sides
The crowds began to gather early,
land it was not until afternoon that
all had reached the farm. They came in
all kinds of conveyanceS prominent
among which were between forty and
fifty autos, the majority Of which were
owned by Marshall county farmers.
Those who arrived on the morning
trains. including large number from
We're met at the station
| by rigs from the county farm, and hay
racks. and conveyed to the grounds.
During the morning hours the Bangor
Band gave concert and at IL o'clock
Mr.. A. E. Nelson. of the extension de-
partment. Iowa State College, Ames,
explained the experiment work in oats,
as conducted at the college farm.
First Experiment in Oats.
This. Mr.. Nelson said, was the first
year that any experimental work was
conducted in oats, and the Marshall
county farm was one Of the very first
stations in the United States to make
experiments in the cereal
At the county farm twelve acres
were sowed to oats, the same as were
planted to corn during the corn ex-
periments. The cost, Mr. Nelson said,
was about the same as that Of the
corn experiments, and will be Of equal
value.
The experiments were conducted
along four different lines of invest-
cation: The preparation of the seeding
bed. the date of seeding. the methods
of seeding, and the various varieties of
oats.
The samples for the tests were not
of each variety used in each test were
taken from each plot.
| According to Mr.. Nelson, the one i'm
| portant thing learned from these tests
Is that. in order to make the cultivation
of oats profitable to the farmers of
Iowa, an early variety must be sown;
1t must be sown as early as possible,
the seed bed must first be carefully
prepared; the ground should be disked
before sowing, and the oats should be
drilled, not sown broadcast.
/ Because OF the methods most gen
orally used in Iowa at the present time.
Mr.. Nelson asserted, oats are raised in
| this state at an average loss of "a cents
an acre, burt If more scientific princi-
pies were apphed, oats could easily be
raised at a profit.
Oats Not Iowa's Great Crop.
| Oats could never be Iowas great
4 crop; they could never take the place
! Of corn, but they always will be grown
here as a rotation Of crops. But no
farmer wants to pay "a cents an acre
for the privilege, he wants to put oats
on a paying basis, the same as corn Is
In experimenting regard ding the prop
er preparation of the seed bed. many
things were proved. 1t was found that
when the ground had been twice disked
before seeding. the yield was forty-fivf
and one-half bushels to the acre an6
the weight twenty-five pounds to the
bushel Where the oats were seeded
before disking. the yield was forty-fivs
bushels and the weight twenty-foul
pounds. The test showed that a bette,
quality of oats is produced when the
seed beds are first prepared The fig
ures follow:
1 PREPARATION OF SEED BED.
Pct. Smu