498 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



consin, though also grown to a large extent in South Dakota and 

 Montana. It has been shown that the 10-year average yield of this 

 oat at the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station was 8^ 

 bushels greater than the average of all other varieties. Also, calcu- 

 lating the averages of the highest yielding varieties for several differ- 

 ent periods, in which all varieties were grown every year, there is a 

 constant difference in yield of about 12 bushels per acre in favor 

 of the Swedish Select in comparison with the next highest variety. 

 Taking the mean of these two determinations, or, rather, reducing 

 the latter one, we can probably safely assume a constant average in- 

 crease in yield of at least 10 bushels per acre for the Swedish Select 

 over that of other varieties in these tests. 



As all varieties were grown under the same conditions it is rea- 

 sonable to infer that the Swedish Select oat will show the same supe- 

 riority over ordinary kinds when grown throughout the State. 



SIXTY-DAY AND KHERSON OATS. 



History. Most of the varieties of oats now grown in the north- 

 ern half of the United States came originally from northern Europe 

 or have been produced from varieties from that section. Our great 

 central valleys are, however, subject to high summer temperatures 

 not found in the more equable climate of northern Europe, and for 

 that reason the varieties of oats from Germany, Sweden, and similar 

 European sources have not been altogether satisfactory in our corn 

 belt. Conditions more nearly approaching our fertile prairie sec- 

 tions are found in the chernozem or "black-earth" district of south- 

 ern Russia. This district is one of wide extremes of heat and cold, 

 with rather low rainfall. The hot summer and rich soil make it 

 comparable with the corn belt, and though the rainfall is lower it is 

 readily seen that varieties of grain of value there are likely to prove 

 desirable over a large portion of the United States. The Nebraska 

 Agricultural Experiment Station secured seed of an early variety of 

 oats from this section in 1896. This seed was sent out under the 

 name Kherson, that of the district from which it came. It was 

 quite widely distributed in Nebraska, but for several years was little 

 known outside that State. In March, 1901, an importation of a 

 similar variety was received by the United States Department of 

 Agriculture from Mr. C. I. Mrozinski, of Proskurov, in the Podolia 

 government of Russia. This province lies just west of the Kherson 

 government and its climatic and soil conditions are much the same. 

 This variety was received as "Sixty Day" and has been widely dis- 

 tributed under this name. It closely resembles the Kherson and is 

 practically identical with it, although under the same conditions 

 there is sometimes considerable variation in yield. 



The two varieties Sixty-Day and Kherson are so similar in ap- 

 pearance that the same description may be applied to both. The 

 plant is a vigorous but not rank grower, usually less inclined to lodge 

 than varieties with coarser straw. The head, or panicle, is loose and 

 spreading, bearing a large number of grains. The grain is small 

 to medium in size, long, and rather slender, but, under favorable 

 conditions, plump and well filled. 



