288 THE CEREALS IN AMERICA 



cooler portion of the season, and also because they may often 

 be harvested so as to avoid storms which injure the late varie- 

 ties. In some localities early maturing varieties are desirable 

 in order that they may be harvested in time to prepare for the 

 succeeding crop. There is a difference of about two weeks in 

 varieties grown in this country when grown side by side in a 

 given locality. At the Ohio Station the average length of 

 seasons during ten years varied for seventy-one varieties from 

 linety-eight to 105 days, except in Early Ripe, which was eighty- 

 seven days. During eight years North Dakota Station has 

 found an average variety variation of from eighty-eight to 102 

 days, while the extreme limits due to both season and variety 

 were eighty to 118 days.^ Early varieties usually have shortei 

 stems, and are, therefore, less likely to lodge. 



387. Varieties of Oats. — Twenty-eight stations liave tested 

 varieties of oats from one to fifteen years and have obtained 

 Satisfactory results with 125 different varieties. Of these varie- 

 ties, only sixteen are recommended by four or more stations. 

 Two are winter varieties suited to sowing in the South in the 

 fall, viz., Red Rust Proof, 8 ; ^ Virginia Gray, 4. Of the four- 

 teen spring varieties, eleven are white with open panicles, as 

 follows : American Banner, i o ; Badger Queen, 6 ; Lincoln, 5 ; 

 Wide Awake, 5 ; Improved American, 4 ; Clydesdale, 4 ; White 

 Bonanza, 4 ; Pringle's Progress, 4 ; Siberian, 4 ; Welcome, 4 ; 

 White Wonder, 4. Two varieties have closed panicles, White 

 Russian, 4, and Black Russian, 4, with the color of grain as 

 indicated in name. Burt (synonym May) is recommended by 

 four stations : Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi, 

 where an early maturing spring variety is desired. 



There is a group of varieties of which Virginia is the type 

 that are especially adapted to growing for grazing or for hay. 

 They are hardy, have tall line straw, a low percentage of grain 



I No. Dak. Bui. 52, p. 109. 



* Number of stations recommending the variety. 



