178 FARM CROPS 



is to soak for 30 minutes in a solution of formalin 

 containing I pound to 50 gallons of water. For- 

 malin may be purchased at any drug store, and 

 costs about 75 cents a pound. Still another way 

 to use formalin is to take one-third as many ounces 

 as you have bushels of seed oats to treat; mix an 

 ounce in 3 gallons of water, or the whole quantity 

 in water at rate of 3 gallons for every ounce of 

 formalin. Each gallon of the solution will treat I 

 bushel of oats. This is a good way to do this work : 

 Spread the seed thinly upon the barn floor and 

 sprinkle with the solution, being careful that all 

 seeds are wet. Cover closely with blankets for a 

 few hours and plant very soon after treatment. In 

 drying the seed, spread thinly in the sun and fre- 

 quently stir and air. Another method for prevent- 

 ing smut is to sprinkle the seed thoroughly with a 

 solution of blue vitriol ; to prepare use I pound to 

 10 gallons of water. 



Oats and Peas for Forage. Plow the land as for 

 corn. Sow a bushel of Canada field peas to the 

 acre and cover 4 inches deep. A few days later 

 sow oats at the rate of 2 bushels to the acre. The 

 delay in sowing the oats gives the peas a start, and 

 brings the two crops along together. A more com- 

 mon practice is to mix Canada field peas and oats in 

 proportion of I bushel of peas to 2 of oats, and sow 

 with wheat drill. Both methods are good. 



ORCHARD GRASS. A very desirable perennial 

 grass for hay. It grows 2 to 4 feet high and yields 

 from 2 to 3 tons to the acre when grown alone. It 

 has an abundant aftermath and shortly after being 

 cut shows growth and greenness. It is quite at 

 home in shade, and for this reason is quite suited 

 for woods, orchards and pastures where many trees 



