220 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



eminent agricultural botanist, has some valuable remarks. 

 He mentions that although there are about sixty varieties 

 of oats met with, still considerable confusion exists with 

 reference to them, many possessing such a close approxima- 

 tion to each other in external appearance that it is difficult 

 to separate them into classes ; of these sixty varieties, thirty 

 therefore may be taken as applicable to Scotland ; and of 

 these thirty, some dozen only are in general cultivation. 

 These dozen may be named here : - Potato, Hopetoun, 

 Sandy, Early Angus, Late Angus, Grey Angus, Blainslie, 

 Berlie, Dun, Friesland, Black Tartarian, Barbachlaw. Mr. 

 Lawson has classed these oats according to the soils and 

 situations, thus : 



First Class, adapted to the best soils and sheltered situa- 

 tion 1. Potato Oats, Hopetoun, Flemish, Early Angus, 

 Cupar Grange. 



Second Class, to intermediate soils and situations 2. 

 Sandy, Dyock, Berlie, Ked Maobiehill, Blainslie, Grey An- 

 gus, Late Angus, Poland, Friesland, Lancashire Witches, 

 Tarn Einlay, Drummond, Pun, Sheriff, Cumberland Early, 

 Cleland, Siberian, Georgian, Blue Major, Church's. 



Class Third, high altitudes and exposed situations 3. 

 Kildrummie, Strathallan, Black Tartarian, Old Black, Bar- 

 bachlaw, Black Muckle, Bristle Pointed. 



1 8. Mr. Lawson points out what he considers to be the com- 

 bination of qualities necessary to be attained in oats, which 

 qualities, he truly observes, must be ascertained or obtained 

 by " much care, attention, and frequently repeated trials." 

 The qualities are (1) quantity and quality of grain ; (2) 

 quality and bulk of the straw ; (3) early ripening ; (4) power 

 of resistance to wind and water, &c. ; (5) adaptation to the 

 exposure and altitude of different soils ; (6) freedom from 

 disease. Knowing these qualities, the next point is to ascer- 

 tain the variety best calculated to give out these. Should 

 this variety not be in existence, it must be obtained, says 

 Mr. Lawson, by either the improvement of an old, or, by 

 cross impregnation, the generation of a new variety. 



1 9. Of the principal points connected with the soil and cli- 



