Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-03-07
Practical Suggestions
For Preparing Seed
Bed For Oats Crop


oats usually follow cultivated crop.
such as corn or potatoes, hence 1t Is
not generally necessary to plow the
land before sowing. Oats do well on
fall -plowed land; but If the land has
not been plowed in the fall, better
yields are usually produced from SOW
ing in a seed bed made by disking and
narrowing than in one made by spring
plowing. Early seeding for oats Is
very desirable. AS good seed bed
can be made much more quickly with
the pillow on land that was in cult
waited crop last year, the saving In
time Is an advantage. Two diskings
and one narrowing with the spike
toothed harrow will put clean land II
good shape for sowing with the drill
Oats grow best in a seed bed that
has 2 or 3 inches Of loose surface soil,
but which Is firm below that depth.
This is another reason why disking is
to be preferred to spring blowing, for
there is not time for plowed land to
settle before the seed Is sown Still
another reason why the disk Is better
is that a field can be disked mucn
more cheaply than it can be plowed,
and the cheaper way Of doing job
should always be chosen if it gives just
as good results as the more expensive
way. .~ - X
Buying Seed.
If the local supply Of seed oats is of
poor quality, care should be taken in
getting a new stock for sowing. 1t is
better to get this supply from points
to the east or west than from points
north or south, as the varieties are
more likely to be those which will do
well locally. Varieties which may be
best two or three hundred miles to the
north or south may not be at all suit
able. If new seed is wanted. ask the
county agent or. the state experiment
station where to get it and what varie-
ties to buy.
If you have been growing a variety
which does we'll in your locality it is
. better to SOW well-cleaned seed of that
variety grown on your own farm or in
your county than to get seed from a
distance. 1t takes oats a year or two
to get used to the soil and climate i7
any locality, and they will not do their
best until they become adapted to ioca!
conditions. If the oats grown locally
were injured more or less last summer
by rains after harvest. make a GERM
nation test and prove that they will
not grow before you decide to send
away for seed. If your oats are lights
and chaffy take out about two-thirds
of the lighteSt of them with the fan
ming mill and use the other third for
seed.
The idea that oats run out and tina,
1t Is necessary to get new seed every
few years is quite common, but it is
not justified by the facts. There is no
reason why a good variety Of oats
should not be just as good twenty
years from now as it is now, If care Is
taken to keep it pure. 49,.
The seed should be cleaned and
graded each year, taking out the weed
seeds and the small kernels. It should
also be- treated for smut at least once
in two or three years. If the seed is
of good quality, lit will not pay to run
it thru the tanning mill more than
once, to take out the small kernels
and weed seeds. If the seed is poor, or
very weedy, running it thru a second
time and taking out two-thirds or
more of the grain is we'll worth while.
The reason it, is best to take out the
small kernels is that they do not make
as strong plants as the large ones. The
weak points from these small kernels
usually produce little grain. If the
kernels that are sown are all about the
same size the plants will be uniform,
the crop will all ripen at the same
time, and the yield will be better. IL
Sowing. ,
The best way to sow oats is with the
grain drill. Drilling more even stand
than broadcast seeding, for all the seed
is covered to about the same depth. In
sowing broadcast, some Of the seed
may not be covered at all and some
may be covered too deeply. Germina
tion is better from drilled seed and the
growth is more uniform thruout the
season. In numerous tests at the ex-
pertinent stations drilled oats have
outyielded oats sown broadcast by sew
eral bushels to the acre. Better stands
Of grass and clover can also be OBJ
tanned in drilled than in broadcast
oats. "r. -fzl!$ %&-. r.
The best depth to SOW oats varies
with the soil and the season. In any
case they should be covered with half
an inch to an inch of moist soil. They
should be sown deeper in sandy soils
than in loans or clays. Deeper seed
ing is also necessary when the ground
is dry than when it Is moist. On the
average the best depth is from one to
one and one-half inches. ~ -
Oats should be sown as early in the
spring as 1t is possible to make a good
seed bed. The exact date of course
varies with the tsenson and with the
locality. This does not mean that the
preparation OF the land should he neg
lected in order to SOW early. Better
yields will be produced from seed
sown in good seed bed than from
that sown few days earlier in ground
too cold and wet for the seed to ger
inmate. ~. x Is r. -: - .,.522 n
In good seed bed the best rate Of
seeding in the corn belt is about two
and half bushels to the acre. II
the seed IL sown broadcast, more Is
NECESSARY More seed Is required In q
poor seed bed than In good one, as
fewer seeds are likely to grow. A low
er rate Of seeding may abe used for
small kerneled varieties than for large
kerneled ones. for there are many more
Of the former in bushel. In the great
plains. where the rainfall Is usually
scanty, less seed should be sown, the
proper rate of seeding being four to
five pecks to the acre.
CUE This Quilt 10 Worth Money.
Don't miss this. Cut out this slip.
enclose with &c and mail 1t to Foley &
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and q ddresa cIea rlv. Yor will rocofvo ~,