GRAIN AND ITS CULTIVATION. 123 



common oat is in most general cultivation in England and 

 Scotland and is known by its white husk and kernel. The 

 Black oat known by its black husk and cultivated on poor 

 soils in the north of England and Scotland. The Red oat 

 known by its brownish red husk, thinner and mote flexible 

 stem and firmly attached grains. It is early, sutlers little 

 from winds, meals well, and suits windy situations and a 

 late climate. The Poland oat, known by its thick white 

 husk, awniess chaff, solitary grains, short white kernel, and 

 short stiff' straw. It requires a dry warm soil but is very 

 prolific. Tfie black Poland oat is one of the best varieties ; 

 it sometimes weighs 50 Ibs to the bushel. The Friezland or 

 Dutch oat has plump thin skinned white grains mostly double, 

 and the large ones sometimes awned. It has longer straw 

 than the Poland, but in other respects resembles it. The 

 Potato oat has large, plump, rather thick skinned, white 

 grains, double and treble, with longer straw than either of 

 the two last. It is now almost the only kind raised in the 

 north of England and the south of Scotland, and brings a 

 higher price in the London market than any other variety. 

 They have all been derived from the produce of a single 

 stalk which was first discovered growing in a field of potatoes 

 in England, in 1788. The Georgian oat is a large grained, 

 remarkably profitable variety and on rich soil, in good tilth 

 has produced more than any other variety. The Siberian or 

 Tartarian is by some conceded a distinct species. The 

 grains are black or brown, thin and small and turned mostly 

 to one side of the panicle and the straw is coarse and reedy. 

 It is little cultivated in England, but is found very suitable for 

 poor soils and exposed situations. The winter oat is sown at 

 the rate of '2 bushels per acre in October, the plants are luxu- 

 riant and tiller well, and afford good winter and spring pas- 

 ture for ewes and lambs, and when these are shut out, it 

 affords an ample crop of grain in August." 



The Hopetown oat originated from a single stalk that was 

 first discovered in 1624, by Mr. Sherriff, in a field of potato 

 oats. It is distinguished by its exceeding height, and supe- 

 rior produce when sown on rich soils. The Dyock oat is a 

 recent sub- variety of the Potato oat, and it is claimed for it 

 that it exceeds the last in the number of bushels yielded per 

 acre, and also in the weight of the grain and the quantity 

 of meal. The Skinless oats, much commended in Ireland, 

 have been tried in this country without much success. They 

 have shown a tendency to degenerate, the necessary effect 



