.556 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



OATS PRODUCTION IN MICHIGAN 1905 TO 1919. 

 (From Mich. Crop Report Jan. 1, 1920.) 



SOILS FOR OATS. 



Oats thrive best on fertile loams aiid clay loauis sufficiently charged 

 with organic matter to carry moisture throughout the season. Light 

 loams and sandy soils are inclined to be too droughty for high produc- 

 tion. On muck soils and soils very high in organic matter, oats fre- 

 quently lodge badly and fail to fill properly. Heavy clay lands can be 

 put in condition for dependable oat production b}' tile draining. 



PREPARATION OF SEED BED. 



Oats are generally })lanted after such cultivated crups as corn, beans, 

 beets and potatoes. The land following these crops is as a rule com- 

 paratively free of weeds ami in most instances can be fitted for oats 

 by a thorough discing early in the spring. The earliest possible 

 discing is recommended. Oats start best on a firm, well settled seed 

 bed with the surface worked into a condition of good tilth. Clean laud 

 following cultivated crops can usually be put mi this condition by thor- 

 ough discing. 



If the land is weedy or of a nature not readily worked into a condition 

 of good tilth, fall ])lowing or early spring ])lowing to a medium depth 

 is recommended. Fall ])lowing is particularly advisable under such 

 conditions, since it gives time for the soil to settle thoroughly. If 

 l)lowed in the s])ring the ground should be thoroughly com])acted im- 

 mediately after jdowing with the roller and fitted with disc or spring 

 tooth harrow or wilh culti]iacker. Fall-plowed land should be disced 

 as early as possible in the spring. 



VARIETIES OF OATS. 



Numerous variety tests, conducted by the Michigan l']x])eriment Sta- 

 tion at I'^ast Lansing, and in fourteen well distributed Michigan coun- 

 ties, have demonstrated the fact that there is a wide dllTerence in yield, 

 and a difference in adaptation, of oat varieties. These tests show the 



