Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-15
Cutting Down the Risk In Oats

Cutting Down the Risk In oats
Growing.
1t is the general opinion among
farmers in most parts Of Iowa that
the oats crop Is grown year IN and
year out at an actual loss. This
comes about very largely because
the price of Iowa land has become
! SO great that the usual yield obtained
from oats does not pay for the
interest on the investment, other
wise known as land rent, and the
other cost items Of production. Any
thing that we can do to increase the
production per acre at nominal
cost Of what the expenses already
are will tend to cut down the risk
in the growing Of oats crop. the
following are the things that may
be done without great deal OF ex'
pense or labor toward securing bet
ter yields:
1. Tanning the seed grain.
2. Treating the seed grain for smut.
3. Drilling the crop instead OF broad
casting in seeding.
4. Selecting high yielding early
variety.
The matter of tanning and grad
ing has a direct bearing upon the
Yields. This has been shown by
recent experiments at the Iowa ex-
pertinent station, Minnesota expert
ment station and number OF other
stations. In the case of the test at
the Iowa experiment station the re-
suit of five trials in 1909-191O, with
nine different tests in all show that
the Weld per acre has been increased
| in each case from two to as much as
five bushels by tanning from one p
three times. The Nebraska station
! found that tanning and grading IN
creased the yield per acre from TWO
| to eight bushels 1t Is essential that
the tanning and screening be carried
out together. simply screening oats
might result in getting large double
hulled berries which would be no
heavier than the small individual.
It must be a matter Of heaviness as
we'll as plumpness. This is gotten
| by tanning and grading.
| Seed Gralnf Treatment.
! Treating the seed grain Is an!
other way of decreasing the chance
for loss. In great many fields IN
this county farmers have reported
that there was as much as 10 10 90
per cent of smut present last year
This cuts down the market ability
Of the crop and also decreases inc
Weld to some extent. The signin-
cant thing about the fact OF this
smut being present Is found IN that
| 1t was grown from seed which seemed
to be absolutely free, from smut
From samples Of the seed sown tne
production of last years crop has
been brought into this office and
thew show no smut. While the crop
grown from this seed. also shown
by sample. contains possibly Is per
cent smut. The only safe way TO
have clean oats is to treat the seed
It will cost about to 10 cents
per acre to treat the seed for this
trouble. This has been proved by
tests at, the North Dakota expert
ment station. Eight to 10 cents per
acre. certainly is a very low premium
to nav for insurance which would get
rid OF rs per cent smutted oats
The method OF treating is COM
paratively simple. Secure one pound
Of formalin (40 per cent strength,
which will cost about IS cents, use
barrel or tub and pour this Tor
malin into 40 gallons Of water Take
the seed oats which are to be treated
to a barn floor or other platform;
some farmers use an ordinary wagon
box. The treating Is best done
in AZ hours before the seed Is to be
sown. Take a couple OF bushels
of seed and empty out in one end OF
the wagon box or on the floor. Use
an ordinary sprinkling can. Take
can full OF solution, sprinkle over
oats until 1t is thoroughly wet. Then
take a scoop shovel and turn oats
which has been treated, thoroughly
mix it and add more solution with
the sprinkler If needed. Empty counie
more bushels Of oats at one SIDE OF the
pile and keen working toward the
other end OF the wagon box: II on the
| floor away from the original pile.
The amount of solution which was
mixed should treat probably SO or %
bushels of oats. When the solution mas
all been added. the oats 50 treated
I should be scooped UP into nice round
cone and covered with gunny-sack or
old carpet. II in the wagon box 1t may
| be scooped toward the forward end
and the top of the mass covered as
directed. The cover should pc KEPT Oh
| the oats about "a hours. This confines
the formaldehyde gas which kills the
smut spores that are on the grain. In
AZ hours the oats will be dried OH
enough so that 1t may be used IN an
ordinary seeder or drilled by simply
setting the guage about one-half
bushel coarser than 1t Is ordinarily
set.
Results Are Shown.
| The relative value of treating vs.
broadcasting is well shown in a series
of experimentation carried on at the
! Iowa experiment stations during the
years from 1907-1s11. 1t was found
4 that the drilling oats was distributed
4 more evenly, planted at uniform
i depth and that the yield was increased
by the drilling anywhere from to 10
! bushels per acre. The average loss pei
acre by broad-casting obtained by
1 these experiments was $1.27 per acre
This is not very great increase In
profit. but when we reflect that we
j could gain this much by changing the