OATS. 265 



in nitrogen, is often not suited to oats, as the crop lodges very 

 readily when the growth is rank. Oats will often do fairly well 

 on badly drained land where other crops fail. It is more alkali 

 or " brak '' resistant than wheat, but like the latter crop and 

 maize, prefers a neutral soil. 



The field intended for oats should be prepared more or less 

 in a similar way to that described for wheat. If the land has 

 had a summer crop on it, as is often the case, it should be 

 ploughed immediately after the crop has been removed, and if 

 possible worked up into a good tilth before the seeding takes 

 place. 



Fertilisers. — In older countries fertilisers are usually 

 supplied to some other crop in the rotation rather than to the 

 oat crop. In South Africa phosphates are more often lacking 

 than nitrogen or potash, consequently in the rotation phosphatic 

 fertilisers should be the chief consideration. The application 

 of superphosphate at the rate of 200 pounds, or, Government 

 guano, at the rate of 300 pounds per acre, generally give good 

 results. In the South-West Cape light dressings of nitrate of 

 soda have proved beneficial. 



Seed.— Oat seed may be judged by the use of the follow- 

 ing score card : — 



(1) Vitality 20 



(2) Size and plumpness 20 



(3) Freedom from foreign seed and damaged 



grain, dirt, etc 20 



(4) Thinness of hull 25 



(5) Purity of variety 15 



Total 100 



(1) Vitality. — Seed which will germinate well is of a 

 bright polished appearance. When used for seed, oats must 

 have good vitality, but for feeding purposes too much attention 

 should not be given to this point. 



Often hulless seeds are found in hulled varieties, and pro- 

 vided the sample is not an old one, it should not be discounted 

 on this account, as these hulless kernels usually escape most 

 easily from thin-hulled varieties. However, hulless oats lose 

 their vitality sooner than do oats enclosed in the palea and 

 lemma. 



(2) Size and Plumpness. — Within the variety, the larger 

 the seed the better. In all varieties the seed should be plump, 



