The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1917-10-03
sow WINTER OATS.
Liberal Acreage Should be Sown in
South This Fall Wherever the
Crop is Adapted.

more than usual need for growing al
home all the feed that stock will re-
quire, liberal acreage should be
sown to winter oats this fall wher.
ever that crop is adapted. While
many farmers had a disastrous ex-
perience with oats last winter. when
a large part of the crop was destroy.
ed by the February freeze, a repeti-
ton of that occurrence this is not
very probable. Oats are generally
recognized as being ordinarily the
best grain crop for fall sowing in the
South, as it usually yields better
than other grains, natures early, and
both the grain and the straw may be
fed to live stock. In fact. it is a
very general practice in many sec
tons either to cut oats for hay or to
feed them in the bundle to work
stock, thus providing both grain and
roughage.
Seed Economy.
The scarcity and high price of seed
oats this fall. due to the short crop
last spring, make it desirable to use
special precautions to get a good
stand with as little seed as possible.
As less seed is needed when the seed
is sown early on well-prepared land,
attention to these points will pay
well. Oats usually do best after
cultivated crop. such as corn or cot
ton. If these crops have been kept
free from weeds. it is best not to
pillow the land but to make a fine,
mellow seed bed 2 or 3 inches deep
with the disk, sprng-tooth. or spike
tooth harrow. The disk harrow is
the best Of these tools for this pur-
pose, though the spike-tooth or
smoothing harrow should be used the
last time over the field to break
clods left by the disk ard to leave
the surface fine and smooth for the
seed. A good seed bed may also be
made with the disk harrow on land
from which crop of cowpeas or soy |
bean hay has been removed. Plow- !
ing is not usually advisable unless |
the land is very hard or weedy, as it |
leaves the ground so loose that it |
dries out readily. II the field must |
be plowed, the work should be done |
at least two weeks before seeding |
time and the land then disked or
dragged thoroughly to firm it.
Fertilization.
If the land is rich or if it ha. been
heavily fortified for the preceding
crop. no further fertilization is nee
essary. On most soils. however, The |
addition of 100 to 200 pounds of ac-
id phosphate or some other form of
phosphate fertilizer before or at seed
ing time i. beneficial. Fertilizers
containing nitrogen are usually ap-
piled to best advantage about the
time growth starts in the spring.
Varieties Recommended.
In the Gulf States, Georgia, and
the Carolinas, the best oat to grow is
the Rcd Rustproof or some of its W.,
rious forms, as Appler, Bancroft,
Cook. Hundred Bushel or Patterson.
The Fulghum, a very popular varic.
~ in many sections, is suite similar
to Red Rustproof, but has the advar-
tage of ripening 10 days to two
weeks earlier In Arkansas. = m
nessee and Virginia the Winter Turf
is the best variety to SOW in the fall,
as it is harder than Red Rustprooi
and Fulghum.
Seeding Dates.
Winter oats should be sOwn in Ten ,
nessee and Virginia from September ,
Is to October Is. according to the
locality. In the Carolinas and the
northern portions of the other South
ern States sow from October ! to
November |, and in the southern half
of Georgia and the Gulf States SOW
from October Is to November Is.
The farther north OF the higher the
elevation at which the seed is to be
SOwn, the earlier should be the date
Of seeding. I.
Sowing Suggestions.
The grain drill is the best method !.
Of sowing oats. If one is not availa-
BILE, the seed may be sown with an !,
ordinary cotton or corn planter or a
one-horse drill. Sowing broadcast
and blowing or disking in require.
more seed and is a poor and uncer-
tain method. The usual rate of seed
ing is 2ls to 3 bushels, but this may
be reduced TO 2 bushels if the seed is il
drilled early on well prepared land. S
The seed should be sown only deep S
enough to be sure that it is covered $
with moist soil, for deeper seeding d
delays termination and early growth. d
Sowing l to, Ia inches deep is usu- 9
ally sufficient. 4
AND CLING SunxU DDnHnneu | u