CLIMATE FOR OATS 



293 



in combinations in Canada for six years, it was found that the 

 influence upon yield of grain was in order just given from 

 greatest to least. (404) In Ohio, on the fortieth parallel, the 

 yield of grain for five years when grown continuously on unfer- 

 tilized soil was as follows : 



393. Influence of Climate Upon Physical Properties of Oats. — 

 The physical properties of oats seem to be readily affected by 

 climate. The Southern varieties are larger but less dense, less 

 plump, often of a dirty dun color, with long awns, while the 

 Northern grown varieties have shorter, smoother grains, with 

 short awns or awnless. The fact that short, plump, smooth, 

 heavy grains have the largest market value has led to the 

 importation of varieties from Scotland, Norway and Sweden. 

 To what extent these variations are due to selection and to what 

 extent to environment has not been clearly proven; but the 

 Ohio Station has found that during ten years' experiments with 

 sevent}--one varieties, the weight per bushel has decreased while 

 the yield per acre has apparently increased.* The Oklahoma 

 Station compared fifty varieties of Southern grown seed with 

 thirty-four varieties of Northern grown seed and obtained 

 slightly larger yields of grain and straw from Southern grown 

 varieties.^ On the other hand, the Ontario Agricultural College 



1 For purpose of computation, average December farm price for decade 1890- 

 iSq9 w-as used. 



2 Ohio Bui. 139, p. 45. 



8 Okla. Bui. 16 (1895), p. 36. 



