286 



THE CEREALS IN AMERICA 



varieties grown. The area of cultivation of winter oats is grad- 

 ually extending northward. Where successfully grown they are 

 to be preferred to spring varieties, because of their more vigor- 

 ous early growth in the spring and their earlier ripening. At 

 the Alabama Station fall sowing gave about twice the yield of 

 grain and straw as spring sowing.^ There is, however, greater 

 danger of absolute failure of fall seeding on account of winter 

 killing. 



Oats may be further classified according to their date of 



ripening, according to 

 color and shape of 

 grain and according to 

 the shape of the pan- 

 icle. The panicle may 

 be spreading or open, 

 or the branches may 

 hang mostly upon one 

 side of the rachis and 

 be more upright, which 

 gives the panicle a 

 closed appearance. 

 Such varieties are 

 known as side oats. 

 There are all degrees 

 of variation between 

 the varieties with open 

 and closed panicles. 

 There are varieties 



VaPety with open or spreading pan.cle. ^j ^^^^ j^^^^^^^^ ^^ j^^^jj. 



less oats, in which the flowering glume and palea are removed 

 upon threshing. These varieties may have either open or closed 

 panicles. On account of the smaller yield, due in part, at least, 

 to the removal of the hull, they are not s^pnerally raised. 



1 Ala. Bui. 95, p. 165. 



