SOWING OATS 189 



231. Sowing the Seed. Oats should be sown as early 

 in the spring as the ground can be put in condition, for usually 

 the plants are not seriously injured by late frosts, and best 

 results are obtained when the crop makes as much growth 

 as possible before hot weather. All tests which have been 

 made by the experiment stations favor early seeding. The 

 exact date of seeding naturally depends on the locality and 

 the season. Seeding may be entirely finished during an 



Fig. Go . Sowing oats with a broadcast seeder on corn land without previous 

 preparation. A careless method of farming. 



early spring at an earlier date than it can be begun in a back- 

 ward one. In general, the best date from Kansas eastward 

 is during the latter half of March. In Nebraska, Illinois, 

 Iowa, and other states in the same latitude, the first half of 

 April is usually the seeding season, though in exceptional 

 years seeding may be finished before April 1, or may be 

 delayed until almost May 1. In the Dakotas, Minnesota, 

 Wisconsin, and other states along the northern border, the 

 usual seeding season is the latter half of April, though it 



