104 THE SMALL GRAINS 



particularly in the production of drought-resistant varie- 

 ties, which, among the oats, are much needed. 



95. Distribution in North America. With respect to 

 the adaptation and distribution of oat varieties, the 

 United States and Canada may be considered as divided 

 into districts, corresponding rather closely with the wheat 

 districts, except that there is no definite parallel area to 

 the durum wheat district in oat distribution. There are, 

 therefore, nine oat districts as follows : (1) the North- 

 eastern oat district, (2) the Middle Eastern or Yellow oat 

 district, (3) the Southern or Winter oat district, (4) the 

 Northern Plains or Side oat district, (5) the Middle 

 Plains or Transition oat district, (6) the Southern Plains 

 or Red oat district, (7) the Western Intermountain oat 

 district, (8) the North Pacific oat district, and (9) the 

 South Pacific oat district. As the characteristics of these 

 districts in relation to oat adaptation are much like those 

 described under wheat, only a brief discussion of each 

 seems necessary. 



96. Northeastern oat district. In this district is in- 

 cluded roughly all of New England, New York, Penn- 

 sylvania, northern New Jersey, West Virginia, northern 

 Ohio, Michigan, the eastern maritime provinces of Canada, 

 Quebec, and Ontario westward to the Albany River and 

 the 90th meridian. White oats are generally grown in this 

 district, and usually those having a spreading panicle. 

 As a rule the midseason or late oats with large white 

 kernels seem to do better than early varieties. In the 

 extreme north, however, earliness is of importance. 

 Early varieties would also have the advantage sometimes 

 in escaping periods of rust or dry weather. Much oat 

 straw is used for stock feed, and therefore the yield of 

 straw is of more importance than in some other districts. 



