The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-09-24
WINTER OATS RECOMMENDED
FOR MANY SECTIONS.
Invariably outgrow Spring Oats and
Often Thrive Better Than Wheat.


Invariably outgrow Spring Oats and
Often Thrive Better Than Wheat.
NICHOLAS sCHMITZ.
Maryland Agricultural Experiment
Station.
Oats require a comparatively dry
and cool atmosphere for the best
growth and development. The past
season was comparatively cool and al
\ result spring oats made from fair
to excellent crops in most all sections
Of the State. Such season. however,
in Southern Maryland and on the East
ern Shore can not be expected much
oftener than once In seven or eight
years. In these section OF the State
the climate in an average season ID
too hot and muggy along about wheat
harvesting time for the best Develop
nient Of oats or any Of the cereals.
1t is obvious therefore that in these
sections a type Of oats that would sue
coed fairly well every season must DO
one maturing before the weather turns
hot and muggy. Winter oats will ma
turs much earlier than spring oats.
some varieties being ready to harvest
before wheat And 1t is for this reA
son that they almost invariably out
Yield spring oats. The difficulty thus
far with the growing Of winter oats
has been the lack Of understanding on
the part of the farmer as to the best
types and when and how to SOW them.
The difficulty Of getting good seed
has been another factor initiating
against the growing of this crop,
farmers often getting more cheat than
oats in the seed they buy. which has
in many sections given the erroneous
idea that oats will turn to cheat.
The best varieties for the Eastern
Shore and Southern Maryland are Vir'
ginia Gray, also known as Turf. V1r-
gin1a Turf and Winter Turf, and two
varieties, distributed by the State Ex-
pertinent Station, Culberson and "206".
The Virginia Gray is commonly found
on the market but Culberson and 1905"
can seldom be secured except through
farmers who may be growing them.
The Culberson and "206" mature 10
days or more before the Virginia Gray,
and since early maturity 10 SO impor-
tant they usually outyield the Virginia
Gray. On the other hand, the past
season has demonstrated that the Viz
ginia Gray IL not quite as susceptible
TO winter-killing az the other two.
The kind of soil required and the
place in the rotation should be the
same as that for wheat. The fertilizer
for winter oats il the same as for
wheat. excepting that ordinarily 1t
should be applied little heavier. 3 to
hundred pounds per acre, and II sown
on comparatively poor or sandy land
the oats should be top dressed early in
the spring, the last Of March or the
first OF April, with rs pounds Of nitrate
Of soda and $50 pounds Of acid rock
per acre.
The time Of seeding should ordi-
narily be about weeks before the
ideal time for beginning to seed wheat:
in other words, they should be sown
the last week in September or the
first in October. The Virginia Gray,
being a little later in maturing, is not
% apt to joint in the fall as Culberson
or the "2o6," and therefore may be
sown much earlier; In fact, it may be
sometimes sown the middle Of Septem-
Der, but the Culberson and "206." II
sown the middle Of September, are al
most certain to be killed. The rate
Of seeding should be from IL bushels
to bushels per acre, and the best
implement for this il the wheat drill;
in fact, winter oats will often come
through the winter without wtnter-kill.
ing when sown with the wheat drill,
where they would winter-kill If broad.
casted and worked in with a cult
vator or harrow.
On a soil producing to 10 barrels
per acre Of corn, there should be ne
difficulty in growing IS to so bushels
Of winter oats per acre by properly
fertilizing. AS yet there are no va
reties which are hardy enough to
make the growing of winter oats fair.
ly certain anywhere north and west
of a line running from Washington
through Baltimore to Elkton.