The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-11-06
GROWING OATS
October the Best Month for Planting
Oats In the South--compares Weil
In Profit with Corn


Bureau1
From October l to November Is.
according to latitude, Is the best time
to SOW oats In the cotton belt. The
area in oats should be fully as large as
that in corn. Great enthusiasm now
PREVAILS in regard to corn but let us
not forget that as feed for stock
and cash crop, oats is one of the
best crops that can be grown in the
south.
The chief crops grown all through
the cotton belt are cotton and corn.
AS an average, for the period from
1900 to 1909, there was planted from
ten to fifteen acres Of corn for each
acre OF oats in the various cotton belt
states. During the same time, the
average value of the oat crop per
acre was $1,000, while the average
value per acre Of corn was S11.02.
flgurlng the cost Of growing an oat
crop and corn crop we find that the
oat crop was the more profitable.
There are several important reasons
why we should SOW millions of acres
OF oats in the cotton belt. 1t would
reduce washing and teaching to the
minimum, furnish grazing, add to the
deplorably deficient supply Of humus.
and add to the always short supply OF
feed stuffs.
or course, there are better winter
cover crops than oats. Burr clover
and crimson clover and the vetches.
and In some cases some OF the other
winter cereals are better. We do not
claim that oats alone, or that oats and
hairy vetch combined should be grown
Tor the sole purpose Of supplying "A
cover crop. However, In view OF the
fact that oats will grow on poor land.
poorly prepared, and that 1t costs lit
tie to seed an acre, II Is a good win
ter cover crop.
Two and one.half acres were planted
in oats at the experiment station at
Baton Rouge, La, for grazing expert
ment on September 2S. On October
20, seven poland china pigs, weighing
In total 276 pounds, were put on this
plat and were given no feed but the
green oats during the winter. BY
February II the pigs weighed total
of 56S pounds. There was an average
gain Of .37 pounds per pig per day for
ITO days. From October % to January
l, forty-five head Of sheep were pas.
tured on this same field. or this
number eight ewes and nine lambs
were pastured continuously thereafter
until February II, at which date the
lambs averaged siXty.eight days old
and weighed 35.5 pounds each. AL
| lowing Sly ppntC uoip ~,
the lambs, we have return OF $13.4O
per acre. plus the pasturaae OF sheep
not considered in the estimate.
The loss OF humus from the soil
results in decreasing its power to
store up and properly supply crops
with water. Soils with liberal
/ amount OF humus are capable of more
efectually withstandng drought than
similar soils with less humus. Tho
Oat crop fills the soil full Of roots, and
the stubble also adds much humus to
the soil.
The oat grain Is very valuable
feed. especially for young ANNALS.
because Of the moderately high con-
tent OF protein and the large amount
OF ash or mineral matter Pound for
poumu' oa'S are not as Vai"aDle 1or
ioeuine mature a"in'a'S as corn iour
nou'N' vi 'o.h nei"s equai 70 ABOUT
FIVE pounds OF oats.
In attempting to build UP worn out
cotton lands we must depend very
,"'ee'y upon 'he ios"r'ihouS CROPS
Nv" ,i'e o"l olop - mar 'oSteu carry
enough 10 permit 'ne growing OF