3G0 



THE FARMERS HANDBOOK. 



section -\r. 



Cereals other than Wheat* 



OATS. 



Oats are not cultivated to the same extent in New South Wales as they 

 are in New Zealand and Tasmania, for the simple reason that the climatic 

 conditions and rainfall of this State are much more adapted to the growing 

 of wheat. The conditions that favour the successful cultivation of oats 

 cannot be considered altogether satisfactory from a wheat-growing point of 

 view. Speaking generally, our best oat-producing countries have a cold 

 climate associated with a high average rainfall, whereas with wheat the best 

 results are usually obtained in comparatively warm countries, with only a 

 moderate or even a low average rainfall. United States of America is the 

 greatest oat-producing country of the world, the proportion of oats to wheat 

 grown being as three to four — in other words, 3 acres of oats are grown to 

 every 4 acres of wheat. 



Apart from the climatic conditions and rainfall required for the success- 

 ful cultivation of this crop, the demand for the grain for making oaten meal 

 is never very strong, as this commodity is only used to a limited extent, 

 whereas from wheat the principal food of the human race is manufactured. 

 Oats, therefore, are never likely to be grown on anything like so extensive 

 a scale in this State as wheat. 



The success attained by the Department in the raising of oats suitable for 

 all the districts in which wheat is grown is of very great importance to 

 farmers, providing, as it does, a change of crop, which is of considerable 

 assistance in combating Take-all. The sowing of oats in rotation with wheat 

 has been recognised as a means of overcoming this disease, and the new 

 varieties under discussion promise to produce profitable yields under climatic 

 conditions unfavourable to the older ones. 



Some idea of the area devoted to oats each year may be gained from the 

 following figures, taken from the Government Statistician's reports for the 

 past four years : — 



Area under Oats in New South 'Wales. 



A small quantity of the grain is purchased for the manufacture of oaten 

 meal, but by far the most important use is as feed for all classes of stock. 



