DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. 285 



In our experience one of the principal factors in securing a 

 good yield of oats is to plant early. You cannot plant oats too 

 early. We aim to plant just as soon as we can work the 

 ground. At Highmoor this is the last of April or the first of 

 May. Oats will stand a very heavy freeze without damage 

 and they grow much better in cool weather. In some years our 

 planting has been interrupted by heavy rains or other condi- 

 tions and we have always found that the later seeded plots 

 yielded much less than the early seeded ones of the same 

 variety. Other factors which influence the yield are the prepa- 

 ration of the seed bed and the depth of planting. Oats must 

 not be planted too deep. Most of our ordinary grain drills 

 tend to plant the seed too deep. This is the chief reason why 

 many people have had better results with broadcasting. The 

 trouble with broadcasting, as it is usually done, is that many 

 seeds are not covered at all. A happy medium is much to be 

 desired. 



We may now turn to the results of the variety tests. Tests 

 of commercial varieties have been carried on at Highmoor for 

 five years. In all we have tested 35 differently named varieties 

 and in many cases several strains of each one. Some of these 

 varieties have been tested one or two years and then discarded 

 as unsuited to our conditions. Others have been retained 

 because they showed certain distinct types. Every year a few 

 new varieties have been added. 



There are 1 1 varieties which have been tested for all five years. 

 The five year average and the yield of each in 19 14 are shown 

 in the chart (Table i). It will be noted that the yield in 1914 

 was exceptionally good. All of the varieties yielded far better 

 than in any previous year. This was due in the main to the 

 abundant moisture during the growing season and to the cool 

 weather in June. Individual plots ranged in yield from 132 

 bushels to 60. These yields of course are higher than can be 

 expected in a series of years. 



