THE OAT CROP. 151 



from mixing seed oats, they still furnish a very persuasive 

 argument for every farmer to make the experiment for 

 his own particular case and personal satisfaction ." These 

 results are valuable information, as they coincide with 

 those given in reference fco mixtures of wheats (p. 20) 

 producing greater returns than when sown separate the 

 reasons there suggested by the experimenter and by M. 

 Louis Yilmorin being equally applicable to the present 

 case. 



The importance of the oat crop in Scotland has se- 

 cured to it a greater amount of attention and experi- 

 ment than has been bestowed on the other grain crops ; 

 and consequently we have, as the result, a great mass of 

 evidence in regard to the different varieties cultivated, 

 and their relative suitability to different districts. Much 

 of this is of a special character, and only valuable 

 where similar conditions exist. From the experiments, 

 however, we may glean some points which have a general 

 bearing, and tend to illustrate the principles we should 

 endeavour to lay down. Mr. Mitchell, Wester Alves, 

 Elgin, 1 after giving the details of his experiments in refer- 

 ence to the comparative earliness, gross produce, and 

 profit of different varieties of oats, sown in 1847, under 

 exactly the same conditions, sums up his report with some 

 practical deductions, of which the following three admit ot 

 more than a local application: 



1. That land pastured for two years gives a quarter of 

 oats per acre more than land that has been cut for hay 

 when in first year's grass, and pastured the second. 



2. That there is a decided loss of nearly four bushels 

 per acre in taking seed oats, however good the sample, 

 from a later to an earlier soil. 



3. That there is an advantage in taking seed oats from 



1 "Reports on the Comparative Earliness, Productiveness, and Profit in 

 Grain and Straw of different varieties of Oats," High. Soc. Trans., 1849, p. 129. 



