THE OAT CKOP. 149 



quently it is never thought necessary to steep it. The 

 purity of the seed is of importance in the oat crop, as it is 

 a crop frequently cultivated under conditions unfavourable 

 to vegetation generally; and unless a particular variety 

 adapted to the climate of the district be sown, the pro- 

 duce may be seriously diminished. At the same time, 

 out of so many varieties, there may be several of habits 

 sufficiently resembling each other to render them suitable 

 for cultivation in the same district ; and, under such cir- 

 cumstances, a mixture of several such suitable varieties 

 has been found to give a larger return than either of the 

 varieties when sown singly would do. 



The details of some experiments, bearing upon this 

 point, by Mr. Finnie, Swanston, are thus given : " The 

 practice of mixing two or more varieties for seed has 

 become of late years very common in Scotland. The 

 object for so doing is to obtain a heavier and more pro- 

 lific crop, by taking advantage of the particular habit of 

 growth of different varieties, so that the excellencies of 

 the one may compensate for the deficiencies of the other. 

 Thus, it is common to sow a mixture of Hopetoun and 

 Sandy Oats, because the former is weak- stra wed, stands 

 thin on the ground, but very prolific while the latter 

 is strong-strawed, grows thickly, but is less productive ; 

 consequently, a mixture of this kind generally yields a 

 better crop than when each variety is sown separately. 

 Of course, it is necessary in such cases to select such 

 varieties of oats for mixing as possess about the same de- 

 gree of earliness, in order that the whole may come to 

 maturity at the same time." From one of the series of 

 trials made by Mr. Finnie to ascertain what varieties or 

 mixtures of oats were best adapted to the best and lowest- 

 lying part of his farm, the following results were obtained 

 from equal portions of land : 



