Oct. 15, 1914 Water Requirement of Plants 1 1 



OATS 



The four varieties of oats employed in the water-requirement tests in 

 1912 were the same as those used in the 191 1 experiments. The water 

 requirement in 1912, based on the total dry matter produced, was as 

 follows : 



Variety of oats Water requirement 



Canadian 399±6 



Swedish Select 423 ± 5 



Burt 449±3 



Si.xty-Day 491 ± 13 



The Canadian again proved to be the most efficient of the varieties 

 tested. The differences exhibited by the first three varieties in the 

 list are practically the same as in 191 1. 



Much trouble was experienced in obtaining a stand of Sixty-Day 

 oats. The germination was very poor and a second and even a third 

 planting failed to give a good stand, as is shown by the variations in 

 the yield of the different pots. (Table VI.) This is, perhaps, the cause 

 of the higher water requirement obtained for Sixty-Day oats, which 

 in 191 1 ranked next to the Canadian in efficiency. 



The water requirement of the different oat varieties, based on grain 

 production in 191 2, was as follows: 



Variety of oats Water requirement 



Swedish Select i, 103 ± 18 



Sixty-Day 1, I72±i33 



Burt I, 224±55 



Canadian i, 4i5±iig 



The probable error is high in all the determinations, except in the 

 case of the Swedish Select (PI. Ill, fif. 5), and the relative order 

 of the varieties is consequently of little significance. It is, however, of 

 interest to observe that the Canadian variety is the least efficient in the 

 use of water from the standpoint of grain production, which is in accord 

 with the 191 1 experiments. 



Swedish Select and Burt oats were also included in the 191 3 measure- 

 ments at Akron. On the basis of dry matter produced, the two varie- 

 ties were equally efficient in the use of water. In the measurements 

 of 1912 and 191 1 these two varieties gave only slight differences, the 191 1 

 and the 1912 results being in accord when the probable errors are con- 

 sidered. On the basis of grain production, the Burt was the more effi- 

 cient in 1913, and the Swedish Select in 1912 and in 191 1. No real 

 differences of importance are shown in these two varieties when the meas- 

 urements of the three years are considered. 



