The Springdale news., 1917-01-26
SPRING OATS |S
 ALWAYS SAFE CROP
if Is Easy to Get Started and Ma lures at Convenient Time
 Of the Year.
By L. w. Osborn, Experiment Station University of Arkansas.


 Experiment Station University of
 Arkansas.
 Oats seeded in the spring or late winter have always been popular with farmers in oat growing sections of the State. This crop matures at very convenient time when the supply of feed from the preceding year is get ting low The crop always can be de pended upon to yield at least fair re turns al an opportune time. Further more the crop is mparatively easy to get started, and the work can be done at a time of year when nothing else is pressing.
 The value returned per acre is not as high in case of oats as with some other crops Still when the low cost of production is considered, as well as the fact that the crop is removed from the land in plenty of time for crop of cowpeas, soybeans. peanuts, or oth- CT summer growing crops, the value is high enough 10 make the oat crop profitable
 Spring seeded oats, compared with winter oats. do not. as rule, yield as much grain nor as good quality of grain. and usually the growth of straw i is less On=the other hand. oats seed cd In the spring or late winter are not ] damaged by winter killing and are more certain to give return on field where winter oats aGe= likely 10 suffer On poorly drained soils and CIT fields subject to overflow. spring oats should therefore be given prefer ence.#
 Preparation Of Land
 Though t1a oar crop in general will stand cons aarahle foueh treatment, there is n. question but hat the crop will respond to good cultural methods and return profit according Iy. X fairly deep and compact seed bed should be prepared before seed ing. Frequently on good land which has had Wellzcared-for cultivated crop he year before, a thorough deu- i hlo disking. followed by a section har TON is all that ts necessary. On land which Is of a close nature and lack I ing in organic matter il is q better practice 10 flat break during the win ter and disc or harrow before seeding until the land is in good shape
 Time of Seeding.
 The oat crop in general does best when the weather k comparatively cool and moisture plentiful For that reason, the sooner after the cold win ter weather breaks up that the oat crop can be seeded the better are the possibilities for securing a good crop The time of seeding will vary in diff fererat sections of the State from early February in south Arkansas. 10 early March in north Arkansas Time of seeding is very important in the case of oats seeded al this time of year. When seeding is delayed in the spring there is great danger that hot sum mer weather will not permit the grain 10 .il out normally An carly seeded crop allows more time for the plants to grow and get ready for such weather
 Seed k best sewn with a grain drill in order 10 save seed and secure a uniform stand If a drill is not avail able good resul~ can generally be obtained by seeding broadcast and covering with section harrow Be tween two and two and one-half bush els of seed are necessary with a grain drill and three bushels or more when seeding broadcast The rate of seed ing depends. 10 great extent, on the variety, since some varieties have much larger grains than others. Varieties
 Varietal tests of spring oats show that early maturing types give best results Burt has always been a very dependable variety and seed can 2 usually be secured al most seed houses. The various Red Rust Proof varieties which are commonly seeded , in the fall. do very we'll when seeded in the late winter CT early spring. \ Red Rust Prooi selection known as Ful ghum. which was tested for he frs. time as a spring ca tht- pas season did exceptionally well This e5t is one of the earliest of the Red oats Cul person and Winter Turf varieties should nat ha used for spring seeding because of their later maturity Harvesting.
 The greatest yalua per acre can usually be obtained when the crop is eut and used for hay
 If the crop is cut just as the heads
 
 be realized. since the straw is green al that time and the whole plant i. ! Very palatahie and makes a high qual | itY Of feed
 Louis Sawyer has recently been ap \ pointed as Livestock Specialist Wit | the Extension Division of the Cniver ' slf krl-., t.-