CHAPTER III 

 OATS 



Items of general interest. Oats, as a farm crop, have 

 come into such prominence with the development of the cen- 

 tral and northern portions of this country that now they are 

 one of the important cereals of these sections. Like other 

 cereals, the oat is an annual grass, with jointed stem and 

 fibrous roots system. One seed usually produces from three 

 to seven stems .having a height which varies from two to five 

 feet. The flower of oats is in the form of a panicle, consist- 

 ing of a central stem from which numerous branches are 

 given off, bearing the spikelets of flowers. The developed 

 kernel remains tightly enclosed within the flowering glume 

 and palea. 



Types of oats. Oats may be divided, according to the 

 appearance of the panicle, into two classes; spreading or 

 closed. Oats may be classified into spring or winter varieties. 

 They may also be divided into early, medium, and late varie- 

 ties, based upon the time of ripening. Sixty-days is a well 

 known early variety, while Siberian, Swedish Select, and 

 American Banner are common, medium, and late varieties. 

 On the market, oats are classed according to color of the 

 grain ; as white, black, and mixed oats. 



Adaptation. Oats are best adapted to a cool, moist cli- 



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