Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1913-02-06
Uniform Land and TIiiaae.

The tillage OF land for oats Is one
Of the most neglected practices In q
great many states. This Is true in
iowa. Two or three times over
stalkfleld with duh disk and harrow
is considered by too many farmers
to be ali that Is necessary for Data.
The ridges from the last years corn
Geld are left so that they are up
parent all through the season. and
even the next year In the clover The
water from rains runs down into the
early part of the season. causing the
ground to pack. and thus retard the
growth of the plants. The few that
are able to survive get yellow and
spindly. The whole piece is striped
like . prison suit.
Depth to TIL.
The depth to witch oat ground
SHOULD be titled varies with the soil
and season. Corn stubble will usual
ly produce fair crop II prepared we'll
to depth Of two to two and q half
inches. Our best crops. however, have
been raised upon land titled to a
depth of four inches The seed should
not be put In more than one inch
below the surface.
The first item In the production Of
good oats is to prepare the land to q
uniform surface and to q uniform
depth.
Uniform Seed.
Results show that grading seed I'm.
proves the crop. Well graded oats
will usually give termination test
above 80 per cent. but II they have at
any time heated in the bin. they
should be tested for vitality. This may
be done easily in a box of dirt or
sand. set in among the house plants.
or in any light room that lie not al
lowed to freeze.
portance from the standpoint of uni
form seed. namely. smut The fan.
ming mill or grader will not eliminate
oats smut from the seed oats.
Uniform Distribution Of Seed.
II ia impossible to SOW oats evenly
by hand. or with an endgate seeder.
and 1t is impossible to cover to q
uniform depth after any kind of q
broadcast sesder Just how much
this non-uniformity will affect the
uniformity Of the plants lies largely
with the weather conditions. II there
is an abundance OF rain the difference
caused by depth IL reduced The
spotted condition caused by uneven
distribution IL never entirely over.
come
Cutting the Crop.
The average farmer cuts his oats
at above the proper time: that Is just
before the heads turn yellow There
are two or three days Just before ma
turity when the heads are white, but
are not entirely ripe. Oats cut at
this period will ripen and cure in the
shock giving a brighter color. and
are not 80 likely to SKATER as when
they are left until they get dead ripe.
How to Shock.
Opinions differ regarding the form
Of shock which it is best to use. This
will vary with the ripeness Of the
bundles. Round shocks should be Of
medium size. open enough at the
base 30 that they will dry quickly and
capped 10 as to expose the least pos.
sible amount of the heads to the sun
and dew. The color Of the grain de.
Ponds largely upon these two points
III shocking.
Shock Threshina.
Shock thfeshing is q pernicious
practice. After q man has gone to
the trouble to raise and harvest a
crop Of oats there Is no excuse for his
damaging their palatability by put.
ting them through the sweat" in the
bin. Oats can be stacked and thresh.
ed for practically the same money az
when they are hauled directly to the
machine. When oats are sweat OUT
IN the stack there 10 much more ail
-s