OATS 27 



mate, and therefore do best in northern sections of the coun- 

 try. Oats have a wide adaptation to soils, and fair yields may 

 be secured on almost all types of soils in cool, moist climates. 

 Oats draw heavily upon the moisture and fertility of the soil. 



Place in the rotation. Oats usually follow corn in the 

 rotation in the corn belt states. Common four-year rotations 

 are: corn, wlieat, oats, and clover; corn, oats, clover, and 

 ivheat; or corn, corn, oats, and clover. When the farmer 

 desires to get a stand of clover or alfalfa under oats, the 

 best results are obtained by using an early variety of oats. 



Preparation of seed-bed. Oats, being hardy plants, re- 

 quire less preparation of the ground for seeding than most 

 other grain crops. In many places oats are seeded on the 

 corn ground without any previous preparation. Sometimes 

 they are sown broadcast and covered with a disk or spike- 

 tooth harrow. They are often soAvn with a disk drill, in 

 which case a more uniform stand is secured and usually a 

 larger yield is obtained. 



Time and rate of seeding. Best results are usually obtained 

 from early sowing. The best time to sow oats is as soon as 

 the soil is dry enough in the spring to get on to it with horses 

 and implements. Seed oats should be run through a fanning 

 mill to remove small kernels, sticks, trash, and weed seeds. 

 The rate of seeding varies from six to ten or more pecks per 

 acre, the common rate being about eight pecks per acre. 



Harvesting 1 . Oats are harvested by methods similar to 

 those of wheat. When the heads have turned yelldw and the 

 grains have reached the hard dough stage they should 

 be cut. In order that the oats may dry thoroughly the bun- 



