The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-28
SOW OATS THIS
FALL IN The SOUTH

Washington, D. c., August 26.-Be-
cause of the shortage of corn In some
sections OF the South and the more
than usual need for growing at nome
all the feed that stock will require,
liberal acreage should be sown TO
winter oats this fall wherever that
crop is adapted. While many farm
ers had a disastrous experience WIFI
oats last winter when large part
of the crop was destroyed by the fep-
ruary freeze, a repetition Of that oc-
currence this year is not very PROB
able Oats are generally recognized
as being ordinarily the best grain crop
for fall sowing in the South, as II
usually yields better than other grains,
natures early, and both the gram
land the straw may be fed to live STOCK.
In fact it Is a very general practice
in many sections 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 good stand
! with as little seed az possible. AS less
seed is needed when the seed is sown
3 early Oh We'll pIt idiiir dItChtioi'
, to these new points will pay well. Oats
usually do best after a cultivated crop,
such as corn or cotton. If these crops
have been kept free from weeds, 1t Is
best not to pillow the land but to make
a fine, mellow seed bed two or three
inches deep, with the disk, spring
tooth, or spike tooth harrow. The
disk harrow is the best of these tools
for this purpose. though the spike
tooth or smoothing harrow should be
used the last time over the field to
break clods left by the disk and 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 a crop Of cowpea or soy
bean hay has been removed. Flowing
is not usually advise ole unless the
land Is very hard or weedy, as IL
leaves the ground so loose that II dries
out readily. If 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 1t.
Fertilization.
If the land is rich or If 1t has been
heavily fortified for the preceding
crop, no further fertilization is neoes
sary On most soils. however, the
Z Oh luu TO Gub pounds Oh hEiu
phosphate or some. other form of
phosphate fertilizer before or at seed
ing time Is beneficial Fertilizers con-
tanning nitrogen are usually applied
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
tho Red Rustproof or some of its vari-
Gus forms. as Appler, Bancroft, Cook,
hundred bushel. or Patterson. The
Fulghum a very popular variety in
many sections, Is quite similar to Red
Rustproof. but has the advantage of
ripening ten days to two weeks
earlier. In Arkansas. Tennessee and
Virginia the winter turf is the best
variety to SOW in the fall, as 1t Is
! harlier than Red Rustproof and F'ulg-
hum.
Seeding Dates.
Winter oats should be sown In Ten
nessee and Virginia from Septem Der
IS to October Is, according to the
locality In the Carolinas and the
northern portions of the other South
ern states SOW from October l to No
Der /. and in the southern half of
Georgia and the Gulf states SOW from
October IS to November Is. The
iaTtHer north or the hiRner the eleVa .
ton at which the seed is to be sown.
| the earlier should be the date OF
seeding.
Sowing Suggestions.
The grain drill is the best method
of sowing oats. If one is not avail
/ able, the seed may be sown with an
| ordinary cotton or corn planter or a
one-horse drill. Sowing broadcast
and blowing or disking in requires
more seed and is a poor and uncer-
tain method, The usual rate OF seed
ing is two and one-half to three bush
/ els, but this may be reduced to two
I bushels If the seed is dNlled early
! on well-prepared land. The seed
should be sown only deep enough to
/ be sure that IL is covered with moist
soil. for deeper seeding delays germi-
nation and early growth Sowing one
/ to one and one-half inches deep Is
usually sufficient.