THE CULTURE OF OATS AND BARLEY. 299 



part of the same field, naturally quite as fertile, was only 52 

 bushels. The land in this case was sown with clover witk 

 the oats and on the manured land the clover was much bet- 

 ter than on the other part of the field, which showed that 

 the manure was by no means exhausted by the oats. Oats 

 will succeed v;ell on land that is too moist for wheat or bar- 

 ley, and newly broken sod land usually produces a good 

 crop. When sown on a corn stubble, the land should be 

 plowed in the fall, the same way in which the corn rows 

 ran, so as to cover the stubs completely. For this end the 

 corn should always be cut low and near the ground. In 

 the spring a thorough working with the Acme harrow fits 

 the ground in an excellent manner for the oats. 2i bushels 

 of seed should be sown per acre, and the Acme harrow cov- 

 ers the seed perfectly and to the pro] er depth, as well as 

 a drill will. This grain varies considerably in character, 

 weighing from 24 to 55 Ibs. per bushel. In a cool moist 

 climate, as that of Scotland or the North of Ireland, oats 

 reach perfection; weighing heavier than any other, and of- 

 ten weighing 55 Ibs. per bushel. In Ameri >a, the best, 

 oats are grown in the Northern and Eastern part of Cana- 

 da; and it is advisable to procure seed from this locality for 

 the purpose of growing a heavier grain for a few years, un- 

 til the crop deteriorates by reason of the less favorable in- 

 fluences of a warm dry summer. Oats should be sown as 

 early in the spring as possible to get a long growing season. 

 We have had excellent oats from crops sown on ground 

 which was frozen 4 inches below the surface; but having 

 been fall plowed, and being dry above the frozen subscil, 

 the land was perfectly well fitted by the use of the Acme 

 harrow. This early sowing is of great importance and se- 

 cures a full yield of heavy grain. 



BARLEY is too much neglected as a farm crop; perhaj s 

 because its value as a feeding grain for, horses and swine is 

 not well known, and its culture exacts more labor in the 

 preparation of the soil. But no farmer should hesitate to 

 grow a crop for the latter reason; when it is one of the ax- 

 ioms of agriculture that the best possible culture of the soil 



