686 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
FRED MC CULLOCH, HARTWICK, IOWA — FOURTH FRIZE. 
How to grow oats is one of the great problems to be solved by the 
Iowa farmer of today. It will not be hard for him to do so if he will only 
commence this spring and resolve to prepare the seed bettfer and sow 
nothing but good, heavy, clean seed. 
The ground on which the oats are to be sown should be put in the best 
condition possible; first the stalks should be well broken, then raked and 
burned, thus giving the disc a better chance. Next give the field two 
good discings the same way; the first time following the corn rows, and 
the second time following the ridge made by the disc the first time. This 
will cut up all the ground in good shape. Now the next thing to do is to 
give it a good harrowing the opposite way from discing, so it will be 
level; then go on with a good disc drill, which is the only way to sov/ 
small grain on stalk ground. When it is possible to do so it should be 
drilled north and south, as that will let more light and sunshine to the 
growing plants. 
After the drilling is finished, give the ground a good harrowing. Nov/ 
you will have a very good seed bed for your oats. Most farmers think if 
they go out and sow the oats and scratch over the ground a little they 
will get a crop, and then they wonder why they did not get a large yield. 
Oats need a good rich soil, as rich as is required of corn. The old 
story that the ground is too rich for oats is wrong, the trouble being in 
not properly working the ground, and having a good seed bed. 
The preparing of the seed to be sown is a matter that has received less 
attention than the properly made seed bed. The greater portion of the 
oats sown at the present time is done by backing up to the granary with 
an old end gate seeder, and scooping in the oats, dirt, light oats and all; 
then going to the field, and see how many acres can be sown in the least 
possible time, and yet expect a good crop. 
Oats must be cleaned and well graded before sov/ing. The only way 
to grade is by weight, using plenty of v.ind, and clean out all the light 
and pin oats, as nothing but the very plumpest oats should be sown. A 
large number of farmers do not have such a thing as a fanning mill, and 
yet expect to raise a big crop by sowing the oats just as they are in the 
granary. If they expect to increase the yield they must begin to select 
better oats and grade them by weight, as just screening is not sufficient. 
Many of the oats will be large double oats, which if carefully examined 
will be just a hull v.ithout a berry in it. These v;ould be blown out if 
the weight system was used, as nothing but heavy grains can fall against 
a strong current of air, this giving a uniform grade. 
The type of oats best adapted to the locality should be selected, but 
care should be taken to select oats free from double or pin oats, because 
these cannot be used by the milling factories to whom a large amount 
of our oats are sold; they can and will pay more for good oats which 
they can use than for these others, so nothing should be grown but what 
shows a very small per cent of double or pin oats. 
After the oats are well graded they should be treated for smut, by using 
the formalin solution, which is one pound of 40 per cent formaldehyde to 
thirty-five gallons of water; allowing them to thoroughly soak in this to 
