OATH 



OATS 



known as judicial oaths (see PERJURY). A very 

 important example of the judicial oath is that 

 administered to witnesses in trials, where their 

 testimony is necessary to prove certain facts. 

 In taking the judicial oath the declarant may 

 be required to lay his hand on the Bible and 

 conclude the recital of the pledge with an ap- 

 peal to God. The various forms of oaths are 

 established by statute. The following form is 

 typical of the oath administered to a person 

 swearing to an affidavit : 



You do solemnly swear that the contents of this 

 affidavit by you subscribed are true, so help you 

 God. 



Affirmation. Members of certain religious 

 sects, as the Quakers, do not approve of swear- 

 ing by an oath because of their interpretation 

 of the Bible's command, "Swear not," and for 

 them provision has been made by allowing 

 them to make a solemn declaration called an 

 affirmation, which is, however, as binding as a 

 formal oath. Another form of oath, known as 

 extra judicial, is one taken voluntarily and not 

 with the intention of using it in a legal pro- 

 ceeding. Examples of this class of oaths are 

 pledges made to abstain from tobacco and in- 

 toxicating liquors and oaths taken to show one's 

 good faith in a private transaction. Such oaths 

 are morally but not legally binding, and no 

 penalties are attached to their violation. 



Oath of Office. This is a pledge that officials 

 are required to take on assuming the duties of 

 a public trust. It consists of a promise to con- 

 duct affairs in a conscientious manner. The 

 form of oath prescribed by the Constitution 

 for the President of the United States is as 

 follows: 



I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will 

 faithfully execute the office of President of the 

 United States, and will to the best of my ability 

 preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of 

 the United States. 



The oaths for all inferior officers of the 

 United States are similar to the above, with 

 Mich modifications as are demanded by local 

 requirements. They include a promise to pre- 

 serve, protect and defend the constitution of 

 the state in which the officer resides, as well as 

 that of the nation. In Canada the usual oath 

 of office of a government official is a pledge of 

 faithfulness in the performance of his official 

 duties, but all members elected to the Dominion 

 Senate or the House of Commons and members 

 of the legislative assemblies of the provinces 

 are required by law to take the following oath 

 of allegiance: 



I do swear that I will be faithful and bear 

 true allegiance to His Majesty * * * *. 



Military Oaths are taken by men who enlist 

 for service in the army. The form of military 

 oath in the United States, taken or affirmed 

 by every man within six days after enlistment, 

 is as follows: 



I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will 

 bear true faith and allegiance to the United 

 States of America ; that I will serve them hon- 

 estly and faithfully against all their enemies 

 whomsoever; and that I will obey the orders of 

 the President of the United States and the orders 

 of the officers appointed over me, according to 

 the rules and articles of war. 



Soldiers in the service of Canada, Great 

 Britain and other countries take a similar oath, 

 but in Germany whole regiments are sworn in 

 together by an impressive ceremony. M.K. 



OATS, one of the most important of the 

 world's agricultural products, classified by bota- 

 nists among the grasses, in the same family as 

 wheat, rye, barley, corn and rice; the scientific 

 name of this grass family or order is Gramineae. 

 There are nearly sixty varieties of oats under 

 cultivation; differences in color, size, appear- 

 ance of straw and form of seed are slight, and 

 are due mostly to conditions of climate, time 

 of ripening and soil qualities. 



The origin of this grain is not positively 

 known, but it is considered to be a development 

 from wild grass of ancient times. Oats were not 

 known at the beginning of the Christian Era, 

 but soon after appeared in southern Europe, 

 probably having been carried there from Asia, 

 which is reputed to have been the first home of 



UNITED STATES CENTERS OF PRODUCTION 

 The darkest sections represent the areas of 

 heaviest yields. 



this cereal. By the thirteenth century oats 

 were grown in England and known there as 

 pilcorn. 



Sowing occurs in the spring, but the ground 

 should be plowed in the preceding autumn, fol- 

 lowed by harrowing soon after the frost is out 

 of the ground. The seed is sown in drills or 

 broadcast just as soon as the ground is in 



