178 FIELD CROPS 



thrashed grain. In the form known as hull-less oats, rarely 

 grown in this country except as a curiosity, the grain sepa- 

 rates readily from the flowering glume, and thrashes 'out 

 clean like wheat. 



The weight of the grain in ordinary oats is one-third to 

 one-half the weight of the entire crop, and about two-thirds 

 of the weight of the grain is kernel and one-third hull. Some 

 samples run as high as 75 per cent of kernel, while others do 

 not exceed 60 per cent. 



222. Classification of Varieties. The varieties of hulled 

 or common oats may be divided into two classes, according 

 to the arrangement of the branches on the rachis, (the central 

 stem of the panicle) . If these are all of about the same length 

 and turned to one side, the variety belongs to the class of 

 side, or " horse-mane," oats; if the branches are of different 

 lengths and stand out at different angles from the rachis, 

 they are of the spreading, or "sprangled," type. The latter 

 is much more common, whereas side oats include only a few 

 varieties, grown generally in the more northerly sections. 

 As with wheat, there are winter and spring oats, according 

 to their adaptability to fall seeding. Winter oats are much 

 less hardy than winter wheat, and are seldom grown in this 

 country except in the Southern and Pacific states. Oats 

 may be divided according to the color of the hull into white, 

 yellow, black (gray or grayish-black) and red (reddish- 

 brown) varieties. The oats commonly grown in the North 

 are white, though black and yellow varieties are sometimes 

 sown; those grown in the South are red or gray in color. 

 Another division may be based on the time of ripening, as 

 early, medium, and late; and still others on the size and the 

 shape of the grain. Early oats ripen in 90 to 100 days from 

 sowing, and late oats in from 115 to 130 days. 



