Rural School Leaflet 1199 



ever noticed that some oats have true-panicled heads and some side- 

 panicled heads. Appoint a committee of older boys to gather material 

 for the study of oats next 

 year. This will lead to obser- 

 vational work. 



Questions. — In which States 

 do we find oats most exten- 

 sively grown? How does New 

 York stand in the production 

 of oats ? What is the value 

 in dollars of the oat crop of 

 New York State? In what 

 parts of the State do we find F IG . 3.— S pikelets 



the most extensive oat fields? 



What percentage of the land in your district is devoted to oat culture? 

 How many kinds of oats are there? How many kinds can you find 

 in your neighborhood next summer? 



Who grows oats most extensively in your district? Is the crop sold 

 or used at home? If oats are not grown on some of the farms in your 

 neighborhood, can you find out why? What effect has the kind of soil 

 on the growing of oats ? Do oats require a large or a small amount of 

 moisture? 



GROWING OATS 



E. R. Minns 



Choosing the soil. — Oats will ordinarily make the best yield on a moist, 

 fairly fertile soil. This crop requires a larger amount of water to bring 

 it to maturity than do many other farm crops. If the soil is too rich in 

 nitrogen, oats tend to lodge and that reduces the yield. A clay or clay- 

 loam soil is most likely to contain the necessary moisture during mid- 

 summer, and a region that is naturally cool during most of the growing 

 season is better adapted to oat-raising than is a warm region. The soil 

 chosen should be well drained, in order that planting may be done early. 

 Late-sown oats may fail to yield well if the summer turns warm and dry 

 when the oats are making their most rapid growth. 



Preparation. — In general practice, oats follow some intertilled crop 

 such as corn or potatoes. They may be sown on either stubble or sod 

 land, provided plowing is done the previous autumn and care is used in 

 making a good seed bed. The ideal preparation is corn stubble that 

 has been heavily manured the year before. Fall plowing on the type of 

 soil best adapted to oats has the advantage of exposing the furrows to 

 the crumbling action of frosts, giving the winter rains or snows a chance 



