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XXVIIL— 0?z the Dyock Oat By the Rev. R. W. Fisher. 



A REPORT of a series of trials of a new variety of oat, called the 

 Dyock oat, by Mr, John Watson, of Ledmore, near Brechin, 

 having appeared in the ' Transactions of the Highland and Agri- 

 cultural Society of Scotland,' in Sept. 1840, and the results being 

 highly favourable, and possessing peculiar claims to the attention 

 of those occupying lands of considerable elevation, I was induced 

 to make application for a small quantity of seed. In the spring 

 of last year I received from him half a quarter, and he kindly 

 added many valuable suggestions for my guidance in making the 

 experiment. 



So far as the return of one year, and the appearance of my 

 crops the present season, can be considered as bearing testimony 

 to the value and probable utility of this variety of oat, I am enabled 

 to confirm the favourable opinion expressed by Mr. Watson : 

 and it is with a view of introducing it to more general notice 

 that I wish briefly to communicate a few details of the experiment. 

 I would first premise that the land on which I sowed the half- 

 quarter is a poor red soil, resting upon a clayey subsoil, at an 

 elevation of from 400 to 500 feet above the level of the sea, and 

 was enclosed from a common about twenty years ago. A poor 

 crop of turnips had been grown upon it the year preceding, with 

 20 bushels of bones to the acre, one half of which was drawn, and 

 the other eaten off with sheep. The alleged qualities of the oat 

 in question, which induced me to make trial of it, were early 

 maturity and an abundant return. As a test of the former, I 

 selected the potato-oat to sow with it in the same field, upon land 

 of precisely the same texture and quality. The early part of the 

 season of 1841 was remarkably fine here, and the potato-oats 

 were sown on the 18th of March, the ground being friable and 

 in beautiful order. On the following morning the Dyock oats 

 were sown ; rain having interrupted the sowing on the preceding 

 afternoon, which, continuing during great part of the night of the 

 18th, rendered the state of the soil not so favourable for harrow- 

 ing in the seed. In both instances the seed was sown broadcast, 

 at the rate of 5 bushels to the acre. The crop was better than I 

 anticipated from the state of the field, growing rather vigorously, 

 but with a perceptible advantage, as regards forwardness, in fa- 

 vour of the new variety ; though, when reaped, the straw of the 

 potato-oats was, I think, a little longer. These were reaped on 

 the 20th of September ; the Dyock oats having been cut on the 

 31st of August. The returns were, from the potato-oats 6/0- times 

 the seedj from the Dyock oats 8| times. The former weighed 

 36f lbs. per bushel, and yielded of oatmeal l/w^hs. per bushel ; 



