Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-12
The Cultivation of Winter Oats

Quoted at Athens for several years past,
and the figures available indicate that
Appler has made an average yield OF
66S bushels; Texas Rustproof 64.2 BUSH
els; Bancroft 81 bushels; Fulghum 5S.5
bushels; Early Ripe 5S bushels; Virgin
ia Gray 62.2 bushels, and Culberson AL
bushels One Hundred Bushel has also
made a good record, though il has only
been cultivated for two years. Burt has
done fairly well with an average of 46
bushels. Black Winter and Bicknell
could hardly be recommended. Our ex-
perience indicates that Virginia Gray
while well suited to growth in the state
from which IL derives its name is not so
well adapted for cultivation in the south
eastern states as many other varieties.
Culberson does not seem to do so well
in Georgia as the Appler. Bancroft and
Fulghum, although II has made an envi-
able record in Texas. These varieties
should in the present state Of our knowl-
edge and experience be given preference
over other sorts until their merits have
been more definitely ascertained. 3D.,
Much interest has been evidenced in
recent years in the best methods Of pre-
pairing the seed bed for oats. In order
10 throw some light on this subject tests
have been conducted for several years
past. On one area the corn has been cut
and removed and the land broken with
& two-horse moldboard pillow to a depth
Of ten inches. The other plat was sim
ply double disked with. a disk harrow.
AS the soil is often dry in September,
the diskjng is not always done effective
ly so at times IL has been necessary to
use a small subsoil pillow. making fur
row every Is to Is inches. After this
treatment of the land the disk harrow
has been found to work quite effectively.
This test has now been in progress
for three years and since the dislIing can
be done in about half the time required
to plow the land. 1t is important for the
farmer to ascertain whether he can Sc
cure the same results from this method
as from the more expensive and labor
ious practice of blowing the land.
Half Of the test plats were seeded
with a grain drill and half by the open
furrow method. The same rate OF seed
ing was followed in each instance. The
grain drill is to be preferred because of
the saving Of both time and seed. 1t
appears from the results obtained that
where the open furrow method was fol-
lowed for the past three years the aver
age yield per acre was 49.7 bushels, and
where the grain drill was used, 50.5
bushels. The yield from blowing the
land was disked, 4s.7 bushels. These
results may be surprising to some, and
possibly the test should be conducted
for a longer period of time before very
definite conclusions can be reached. 1t
would apear, however, that where land
Is In fairly good condition that blowing
for winter oats need not be regarded as
essential
There is much difference of opinion as
to the proper time of seeding oats. To
secure some data with reference to this
matter tests have been conducted with
Appler and Fulghum oats. This work
was begun in fhe fall of 1915. Appler
seeded October goth made a yield of
40.2S bushels. and Fulghum 34.1s BUSH
Ell Appler seeded November Is, made
a yield OF s1.64 bushels. and Fulghum
22.07 bushels. The weight per bushel
from the early seeding was greater than
from the late seeding. In this respect
Fulghum made a better showing than
Appler, due possibly to the fact that II
matured somewhat earlier. The impor-
lance OF using an early maturing varie-
~ Of oats can not be emphasized too
strongly In view Of the tendency of
droughts TO prevail during the ripening
period OF this crop.
The best time to apply nitrate to oats
was also studied. The results indicate
that where 100 pounds were applied the
on February Is. There seems to be lit
tie difference in the yields from the
plats to which two applications of fifty
pounds each were applied on February
Is and March 10, and March 10 and
April is, and the plat which received
one hundred pounds on March 16. The
data secured so far seem to favor a
single application Of one hundred pounds
per acre about March Is. These results
apply to north Georgia conditions. In
south Georgia the application should I'M
doubtedly be made about February Is.
The variety tests with oats conduct
ed at Ashburn indicate that the best
yield was obtained with Fulghum, name
ly asa bushels; Burt was second with
as bushels; Appler third, with 39.s
bushels; Early Ripe fourth, with 37.s
bushels; Bancroft fifth. with S3.7 bush
els. and Texas Rust Proof sixth, with
33.6 bushels. The oats grown at Ash
burn did not fill out quite so well as
those grown at Athens.
The date of seeding test indicates that
October 30 is a better time to plant
oats at Ashburn than December 1. The
average yield with Appler and Fulghum
from seeding on October 80 was 27.4
bushels per acre, and on December 1,
23.s bushels. In this section nitrate of
soda can apparently be applied from Feb
ruary / to March to good advantage.
OF the varieties grown at Quitman,
100-bushel made a yield of 26.s bushels;
Early Ripe. 26 bushels: Black Winter,
1872 bushels; Appler, 22.6 bushels; Gull
berson. 21.s bushels; Texas Rust Proof,
1877 bushels; Bancroft, 1913 bushels and
Fulghum, ia bushels. In the date OF
seeding trial II appears that November
4 proved a more desirable date for plant
ing in the extreme southern part of the
state than December 1. This was true
in the case OF both Appler and Fulghum,
the varieties grown in this test. The
differences in yield observed were quite
marked. The best time to apply nitrate
of soda at Quitman appears to be from
February 1 to March 1. We would be
inclined to favor the early rather than
the later application. The results of
these tests should be carefully studied
by the farmers OF the state.
SUGGESTIONS ABOUT TYPES OF
SILOS.
E. L. c., Jacksonville Fla, writes: We
note that you recommend the concrete silo on
metal lath ard also the monolithic silo, on
do not say anything about wood for silo
construction. Lumber being one Of the prin-
cipal products OF section, easily OBJ
tained and generally at a lower cost. we
feel that 1T should have a fair show In
comparison with other materials and not be
ignored by agricultural writer's. / would
appreciate any suggestions you care to offer
along this line.