160 OATS 



given increased yields, as reported by the Ohio and Pennsylvania 

 Experiment Stations. However, even on heavy soils in good tilth and 

 well farmed, disking without plowing may give good results. For 

 example, at the Ohio Experiment Station previous to 1899, 1 when 

 plowing was compared with disking for oats, the yields were 52.8 and 

 48.7 bushels per acre, a gain of 4.1 bushels for plowing. Fifteen 

 years later (1909-1912) when the test was repeated, land prepared 

 by plowing and disking yielded 58.6 and 61.9, a difference of 3.3 

 bushels in favor of disking. The land had no doubt been much im- 

 proved in physical condition meantime, indicating that on such land 

 plowing was not needed for oats. However, the early data indicate 

 that on heavy farm land in average condition, plowing is best, but 

 on land in high tilth it will not be necessary. This is also supported 

 by the practice in some places on clay land, of not plowing when oats 

 follow potatoes, as potato land is usually in high tilth, while corn 

 stubble would be plowed. 



Preparing Seed Oats. If an average sample of oats be ex- 

 amined the grains will be seen to vary in size. The small grains are 

 the second or "twin" grains in the spikelet (p. 151). By careful 

 hand separation it has been shown that these small grains are not as 

 productive as the large grains. 2 However, where machines have 

 been used to separate large seeds from the ordinary oats, very little 

 improvement in yield has been secured. This is shown by results 

 from both the Kansas and Nebraska Experiment Stations. 



Oats, Average Yield Per Acre in Bushels 



Heaviest or 



Ordinary largest seed 



seed from separated by 



Station thresher fanning mill 



Kansas 3 29.89 30.90 



Nebraska 4 58.30 58.80 



Average 44.09 44.85 



Treating Oats for Smut. The loose smut of oats is common 

 everywhere. The affected heads become a mass of black spores at 

 about the time oats bloom. These spores are carried about by the 

 wind, finding lodgement on the grains of sound oats. Here they 



'Ohio Bulletin 138, 46; also 257, 266. 

 2 Ohio Bulletin 257, 274. 

 8 Kansas Bulletin 74, 199. 

 4 Nebraska Bulletin 104. 



