Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-02-10
HOW TO SOW YOUR OATS.
Prof. Ten Eyck Describes the Pro
cess from Planting to Cut
ting mellow to Care
For the Land-Seed
Selection


Suppose you don't know much
about OatS-Or you do know a
few things, but need to know a
whole lot more. Oats, be it UNI
derStOOd, are getting much at
tentiOn just now throughout
Kansas. The crop and the variA
ETY. are improving. Here are a
few pointers from A. NJ. Ten
Eyck, professor of farm manage
mnet, superintendent of the
ment. superintendent of the West
ern Kansas branch experiment
station at Hays. He knows.
Sow oats fairly fertile land,
but not too fertile; because the
crop may lodge when grown ON
very fertile land,
Sow early; the earlier the bet
ter; even risk sowing in Febru-
airy or March, before spring reall.
begging, if weather and soil con-
ditionS become favorable.
Sow early maturing varieties Of
oats, preferably those varieties
recommended by the state exner-
iment station. Among the better
producing varieties are: Red Tex
as, KherSOn. Sixty Day, and Burt
The Sixty Day and the Burt are
especially adapted to the dry
part of the state.
Have Them Graded.
Grade your seed oats with a
good tanning mill or grain grad.
er and SOW only plump, heavy
grains. This will max the crOr
much Surer and the yield larger
By continuing the practice every
year, a variety well adapted to
the climate and the soil should
not run Out' but rather i'm
prove in hardness and prOduc-.
tivenesS and quality. -.
Prepare a well settled. well.
pulverized seed bed. Early fall
blowing, surface titled during the
winter and early spring prefer
red, or clean corn stalk land well
disked and narrowed but not
plOwed. Oats may also follow
COW peas or SOY beans without
blowing.
Spring blowing for oats is us
ually not desirable. The soil may
be too wet to pillow well or after
blowing it may become too loose
and in bad physical condition.
Occasionally winter blowing and
very early spring blowing with
the soil in ideal condition may
give good results.
Prefer planting with grain drill
at the rate of 2 to 2 ~ bushels
OF good seed oats an acre. cover
ing the seed at a uniform depth
OF two to three inches.
In Cultivating.
If possible harrow once light
ly before the oats come up.
II the seed oats are infested
with smut it is advisable to treat
the seed to destroy the smut. us
ing tormaldehyde treatment. af-
ter getting the bulletin from the
experiment station giving infOr-
nation regarding its use; or it
may be advisable to change seed
oats, getting smut free oats from
other sources. This is especial
~ advisable if your oats are run
out or light in weight. The ex-
pertinent station can furnish
names Of growers of college bred
seed. Also the branch expert
lnent station at Hays, Kansas. has
Tor sale a supply of seed of the
several varieties named.
Commercial fertilizers can be
used to advantage as a rule in
the growing of oats. by direct
application to the crop. Better
tertllize preceding crops with
barn yard manure, or by a pro-
cess Of rotation, including soil
fertility maintaining crops. such
as COW peas, clover and alfalfa.
and grasses. Prof. Ten Eyck will
send circulars giving information
On these subjects if desired
Kansas induStraliSt.