, 1923-07-18
Trucks Reducing
Demand for Oats
Not Considered Cash Crop
and Are Grown Largely to
Fill Out Rotation.

'Frepareo py the united States Department
OF Agrfculture.)
1t Is probable that the of
oats in the United States has reached
Its highest point and the acreage of
this crop may be somewhat reduced
during h present decade. Thus, the
discussion Of the situation and out
look of the oat crop In the United
States Is summed up in the 1922 Year
book just published by the United
States Department of Agriculture.
The rapidly increasing use of motor
lied transfer and trucking in both
the city and country are markedly
reducing the commercial demand for
feeding oats. n the quantity of pats
required for horse feed on the farm
may be slightly reduced by the use
Of farm tractors. Notwithstanding the
rapid development of the farm trac-
tor, most of the farms of the United
States will continue to be TILED wholly
or In large part by the use of horses
and oats will continue to be in. demand
as n of the principal horse feeds.
Certain Industries will continue to use
horses rather than trucks. and these
will supply some market demand.
Used for Human Food.
In addition, considerable quantities
Of oats are used each year for human
food, in he making of prepared live
stock and poultry feeds and for ex
port. Oats usually are not consid-
cred a cash crop. but are important be-
cause of the rather unique place they
occupy in the scheme of farming in
some parts of the United States. While
they are valuable as a feed for horses.
young stock and breeding animals,
they are grown largely to complete
the rotation system in which corn,
wheat and hay crops are grown. There
Is no other crop that fits in as well ms
do oats between corn and wheat or
corn and grass. utilizing land and
labor that might otherwise be unpro-
ductive. In some sections barley and
soy beans may be substituted with
good results. but under most condi-
tons these crops have certain disad-
vantages that still make oats the most
satisfactory intermediate crop.
Crop Is Important.
Economy of labor in the production
Of oats also is important. Usually no
blowing is necessary in preparing the
seed bed. particularly where the crop
follows corn. While oats rank fifth
among all crops in total cash value,
and further increase in acreage is
problematical, the crop is nevertheless
Important because of its place in the
general farming system.
While oats are grown to a great ex-
tent in western Europe. Russia and
other countries, the United States
leads in total production with slightly
more than One-fourth of the world
crop. Russia. according TO the aver
age production for the ~five-year period
ending in 1914, wns a very close sec
Other countries of large production
were Germany, Canada. France, Aus
tria-Hungary and the United Kingdom.
In the order named.
During the twenty-year prewar pc
Rod from 1895 to 1914, inclusive. the
annual production of oats in the
United States averaged. In round mum.
bers. 96p. 600 900 bushels. in Russia
eO1 100000, in Germany 523. 100000. in
France 3~17,000,O00. in Austria Hungary
POI, 000,OOO. n in the United King
dom 1T6, 100000 bushels.
Oats enter much less into commerce
then wheat. because they are too bulky
In relation to the price to bear the
cost of long-dlstance transportation.
Therefore the greater portion of the
crop always is consumed in the coun-
try in which II is produced.
The oat crop is not as important
commercially as wheat and corn. Ac-
cordlng TO the census data, slightly
less thar a third of the national pro-
duction of oats In 1919 vas sold Off
the farm by farmers. Farm consump-
tion apparently absorbed the remain
der of the crop. OF the part sold by
farmers n larger proportion goes TO
terminal markets than In the case Of
corn. much OF which Is sold by one
farmer TO another for feeding and
thus never reaches the terminals.