165 



Average results of fall-sown vs. spring- soion oats. 



DATE OF SOWING 



Experiment No. 1. 



November 18, 189().. 



March 1,1897 



Experiment No. 2. 



November 23, 1897. 



February 9, 1898 



Experiment No. o. 



November 26, 1897... 



February 9, 1898 



Averages. 



Sown in November ... 



Sown in February and March 



Increase 

 of grain 



from 



fall 



Bus. 

 7.9 



11.8 



9.7 



9.8 



The averages in the above table show that oats sown in 

 November were more productive than those sown February 

 9-March 1 to the extent of 9.8 bushels of grain and 531 

 pounds of straw per acre. 



In 100 pounds of unthreshed oats there was 47 pounds of 

 grain with spring sowing, and only 42 with fall sowing, a dif- 

 ference due to the extra height of straw of fall-sown oats. 



The average date of harvesting the Red Rust Proof 

 variety was May 26 when sown in November, and June 11 

 when sown in February or early March. This difference of 

 16 days in time of maturing renders fall oats less liable to 

 suffer from drought or other unfavorable weather conditions. 



It is almost universally admitted that throughout the 

 greater part of Alabama oats sown in the fall afford larger 

 yields than do "spring-sown oats" — by which term is meant 

 oats sown any time in the latter half of winter or in early 

 spring. 



And yet the proportion of fall -sown oats is unfortunately 

 small. The chief causes for the failure of farmers to sow large 

 areas of fall oats are two; (1) depredations of live stock which 

 are so generally allowed to run at large in winter, and (2) the 

 fear that fall oats may be winter killed. 



