162 



OATS 



Experiment Station. 6 The experiment was continued for five years, 

 the sowings beginning in March (except one year) were continued at 

 intervals of about one week, with the following results : 



Yield of Oats in Bushels for Each Sowing 



The highest yield was secured with the first sowing three years 

 and with the second and third sowings in other years. 



In the Gulf States much of the oat crop is fall sown, during 

 October and November. Fall-sown oats ripen two to three weeks 

 earlier than spring-sown, a distinct advantage. Taking selected 

 States from south to north, the time of spring sowing is shown by 

 the following data 7 : 



Dates of Sowing Oats in Different Sections 



State Beginning General Ending 



Alabama Jan. 31 Feb. 20 Mar. 9 



Tennessee Feb. 22 Mar. 11 Apr. 1 



Kentucky Mar. 8 Mar. 23 Apr. 11 



Ohio Mar. 27 Apr. 9 Apr. 22 



New York Apr. 19 Apr. 30 May 18 



Maine May 2 May 13 June 1 



South Dakota Apr. 8 Apr. 18 Apr. 30 



In general, spring sowing extends over a period of five weeks 

 in the South, gradually decreasing to a period of three weeks in the 

 Dakotas. Sowing in the first half of the period is better than the 

 last half. While South Dakota is in the same latitude as New York 



9 Illinois Bulletin 31, 385. 



7 U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Statistics, Bulletin 85. 



