Middletown transcript., 1916-04-15

Agriculture.)
Oats usually follow a cultivated
crop, such as corn or potatoes. hence
1t is not generally necessary to plow
the land before sowing. Oats do well
on fallplowed land; but if the land
has not been plowed in the fall, better
yields are usually produced from SOW
ing in a seedbed made by disking
and narrowing than in one made by
spring plowing. Early seeding fol-
oats is very desirable. AS a good
seedbed can be mades much more
quickly with the disk harrow than
with the plow on land that was in a
cultivated crop last year, the saving
In time is an advantage. Two disk
ings and one narrowing with the
spike-toothed harrow will put clean
land in good shape for sowing with
the drill.
Oats grow best In seedbed that
has two or three inches of loose sur
face soil, but which is firm below that
depth. This is another reason why
disking is to be preferred to spring
plowing, for there is not time for
p1owed land to settle before the seed
is soWn. Still another reason why
the disk is better is that a field can
be disked much more cheaply than it
can be plowed, and the cheaper way
of doing a job should always be
chosen If it gives just as good results
as the more expensive.
If the local supply of seed oats is Of
poor quality, care should be taken in
getting new stock for sowing. It 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
suitable. If new seed is wanted, ask
the county agent or the state expert
ment station where to get it and what
varieties to buy.
If you have been growing a variety
which does well 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. It takes oats year or
two to get used to the soil and cli-
mate in any locality, and they will not
do their best until they become adapt
ed to local conditions. If the oats
grown locally were injured more or
less last summer by rains after har-
vest, make termination test and
prove that they will not grow before
you decide to send away for seed. If
your oats are light and chaffy take
out about twothirds of the lightest of
them with the tanning mill and use
the other third for seed.
The idea that oats run out and that
it 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 20 years
from now as it is now, If care is taken
to keep it pure.
The seed should be cleaned and
graded each year, taking out the weed
seeds and the small kernels. 1t should
also be treated for smut at least once
in two or three years. If the seed is
of good quality it will not pay to
run it through the tanning mill more
than once, to take out the small ker-
nels and weed seeds. If the seed is
poor or very weedy, running it through
a second time and taking out two
thirds or more of the grain is well
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 plants from these
small kernels usually produce little
grain. If the kernels that are sOwn
are all of about the same size the
plants will be uniform, the crop will
all ripen at the same time, and the
yield will be better.
The best way to SOW oats is with
the grain drill. Drilling gives more
even stand than broadcast seeding. tor
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. termination is better from
drilled seed and the growth is more
uniform throughout the season. In nu-
merous tests at the experiment sta
tions drilled oats have outyielded oats
sown broadcast by several bushels to
the acre. Better stands of grass and
clover can also be obtained in drilled
than in broadcast oats.
The best depth to SOW oats varies
with the soil and the season. In any
case they 8 ,Outd D6 covered with Half I
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.
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