OATS 21 



small grain. Hence separation by fanning machines 

 tends to place among the large seeds and among the small 

 seeds, grains from the same parent plants. This indicates 

 that for most rapid improvement of the oat, reliance cannot 

 be placed chiefly on selection by the use of the fanning 

 machine, but rather on the selection of individual plants. 



However, seed oats should be fanned for the following 

 reasons: (1) to eliminate many grass and weed seeds; 

 (2) to remove those oat grains that are too light to germi- 

 nate or to make vigorous plants ; (3) to decrease the danger 

 of clogging the grain drill with broken straw and trash and 

 beards, especially in the Red Rust-proof variety. 



26. Change of seed. There is a widespread belief 

 that some indefinite and mysterious advantage results 

 from changing the seed of almost any crop. In the case of 

 oats, all available evidence is against this notion and seems 

 to indicate that the varieties do not " run-out," or degen- 

 erate, from being grown continuously in any part of the 

 cotton-belt. Oats grown in the locality where they are to 

 be planted are best for sowing. 



The advantages of home-grown seed are usually the following : 

 (1) A yield equal or superior to that secured from seed grown 

 in a different latitude. (2) The ability to select a strain of seed 

 adapted to fall sowing, whereas the seed obtained from other 

 localities is frequently from a spring-sown strain, and hence less 

 able to escape winter-killing. (3) Greater freedom of home- 

 grown oats from admixture with seed of Johnson-grass or noxious 

 weeds that might be introduced from abroad. 



In itself there seems to be no virtue in changing seed. How- 

 ever, a farmer should not hesitate to change seed to procure an- 

 other strain grown in the same latitude, if his own seed is espe- 

 cially light or poor ; or if, by changing seed, he can secure a better 

 or purer variety suited to his soil or climate. 



