VARIETIES OF OATS. ' 213 



general appearance of the oat is so well known as to re- 

 quire no specially lengthened description ; popularly the 

 distinction between it and the wheat and barley is that, 

 while in these the grains are congregated round a central 

 stalk more or less closely, the grains of the oat are sup- 

 ported on tender stalks, which spread out branch-fashion 

 from a central stem. More scientifically stated, oats are 

 characterized by " their lax panicles, their two lax mem- 

 braneous glumes, and the "smaller number of their florets, 

 each of which has one of its husks or palece armed with a 

 twisted beard or awn." But there is a distinction yet to 

 be noted, distinguishing the varieties of the two first-named 

 species, while the varieties of the Avena sativa or common 

 oat, fig. 5, are distinguished by the grains or glumes being 

 borne upon stalks spreading out from a central branch-tree 

 fashion on all sides ; the varieties of the species of Avena 

 orientalis or Tartarian oat, fig. 6, are at once known from 

 their glumes or grains being placed on or proceeding from 

 the main stalk on one side only, presenting the appearance, 

 indeed, very much of the feather on one side of a common 

 quill pen. To these two species, the common and the 

 Tartarian oat, belong all the varieties cultivated in this 

 country. What these varieties are we now name briefly 

 here. To the first-named of the species, Avena sativa or 

 common oat, belong (1) the Potato, (2) the Sandy, fig. 5, 

 (3) Sheriff, (4) the Hopetoun, (5) the Angus, (6) the Blainslie, 

 (7) the Late or Common White oat, (8) the Berlie, (9) the 

 Poland, (10) the Canadian oat, fig. 7. Of these, (1) the 

 Potato oat is the favourite and the most ^argely cultivated. 

 Mr. Lawson states that this variety was first discovered 

 growing amongst some potatoes in a field in Cumberland 

 in the year 1788. Another writer, in the Farmer's Maga- 

 zine in 1803, states that the variety was first imported 

 from South America, a few grains only having been sent 

 enclosed in a larger package containing potatoes, the name 

 was given to them. The seed of (he potato oat is white, 

 plump, and short ; it weighs heavy, in sample from 40 to 

 4-6 Ibs. per bushel, and if well cultivated, will yield from 



