88 AGRICULTURE 



A mistake is often made in planting oats too deep. The 

 ground is usually moist when the planting is done, and depth 

 is not required to secure moisture to start growth. Many 

 agricultural experiment stations have tested different depths 

 of planting, and recommend about one inch as the best 

 depth for most regions. 



Preparing the seed. Seed oats should never be taken 

 directly from the bin and sown, no matter how promising 

 the grain looks. For oats ordinarily contain more dirt, 

 weed seed and light grains than wheat. 



The seed should always be run through the fanning mill. 

 The current of air blows out the light grains and much of 

 the rubbish, and the smaller grains are removed by the 

 sieves. This process of cleaning should generally exclude 

 one-third or one-fourth of the oats run through the mill. 

 If the seed is very light a still larger proportion will need 

 to be rejected. 



Careful tests have shown that seed prepared in this 

 way will yield several bushels to the acre more than if 

 sown directly from the bin. Many of the light grains fail 

 to sprout, and most of those that grow produce weak 

 plants that yield little or nothing. It will well pay every 

 farmer to take time in the winter to prepare his' seed oats. 



Improvement of the seed. It is possible greatly to 

 improve a variety of oats by careful selection of the seed. 

 This may be done by going into the field just before the 

 crop is harvested, and gathering, head by head, the strong- 

 est, largest grained and best yielding plants, also giving 

 preference to those that are freest from disease. From a 

 peck to a bushel or more thus selected is thrashed out, the 

 small, light or imperfect grains rejected, and the choice 

 seed sown on a special seed plat to raise seed for the com- 

 ing year's crop. 



Harvesting the crop. Oats are harvested with the 



