Proceedings of the Fahmers' Club, 583 



coal tar, and covers that with slate laid close together in a new water- 

 proof cement. I am having this style of roof laid on a residence I 

 am putting up this fall, and find it costs less than tin and is much 

 preferable. 



Norway Oats. 



Mr. Geo. M, Smith, Washington, Yt., forwarded some explanation 

 of his processes in producing that large crop of Norway oats, namely, 

 126 bushels on 100 square rods of land with only seven pounds of 

 seeds. "I first secured the above space, which was freest from 

 weeds. It was broken greensward the spring previous, a good dress- 

 i]]g of new stable manure being plowed in, and a good crop of 'com- 

 mon' oats taken from it that season ; plowed as soon as oats were 

 harvested, with no additional manuring ; plowed again the spring fol- 

 lowing, and then eight loads of fine old manure was spread evenly 

 over it. Then I kept a smart man with a smart pair of horses har- 

 rowing nearly all of one day, thoroughly mixing the fine manure 

 with the mellow and even pulverized soil. Having but a small quan- 

 tity of the seed, and as I had previously experimented with it and 

 knew its disposition to send up numerous stalks from a single seed, I 

 had it drilled, the drills being just one foot apart, and six inches in 

 the drill, using as near one oat in a place as we could, covering them 

 about two inches deep. After going over the piece we found we had 

 less than one peck of seed, just seven pounds by weight. Nothing 

 more was done to this field of Norways until the time of harvesting. 

 The grain was then secured and thrashed, yielding 4,032 pounds of 

 splendid oats." 



Mr. J. B. Lyman. — I think especial importance should be attached 

 to the statement made regarding the culture of the crop in question. 

 I have examined several hundred letters giving similar accounts. It 

 is also worthy of notice that a very small quantity of seed was used. 

 Let farmers pursue a similar course with the common oats, and there 

 will doubtless be less disparity in the relative results. The truth is 

 that when a man gives two dollars or three dollars for a peck of oats 

 he is sure to take uncommon pains. He w^ill put them on good land, 

 manure liberally, harrow fine and sow thin. 



Mr. John Crane. — The yield noted seems very large, and the feet 

 of my faith hesitate to take me so far. I have tried the Norway oats, 

 sowing one bushel on three-fourths of an acre, and getting forty 

 bushels in return. In my section of New Jersey the common varie- 

 ties have degenerated, and my crop of Norways, though compara- 



