AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 523 



an admirable grain for meal, but not for the purpose of feeding 

 animals in an underground state, as it is covered "vvitli a hard 

 husk, rendering it difficult for them to masticate, and is conse- 

 quently voided whole. The Poland oat is much cultivated with 

 us, and I am surprised at it, as the straw is short, the grain sets 

 single without awns, and the rind is exceedingly thick. 



The Friesland, known with us by tlie title of the Dutch oat, 

 has a thin-skinned grain, and a large proportion of straw\ The 

 grains are for the most part, double, the larger of which is in 

 some cases awned, the awn being situated high. It requires the 

 better kind of land, and should be sown at the rate of four bush- 

 els to the acre. 



In the Siberian or Tartarian oat, the grains are thin and small, 

 the largest of wiiich are awned, but the small ones without awns; 

 the straw is tall and seedy, on wiiich account it is improper for 

 the purpose of food for cattle. It may be grown on the poorer 

 sorts of soil, as the grain is hardy, still, it is, of course, the most 

 productive on soils that are strong, rich and adhesive, and which 

 have been newly broken up from the state of grass. It is sug- 

 gested, that though this sort of grain generally sells lower than 

 barley, yet, from its being a more certain crop, the superior utility 

 of the straw for the food of cattle, and the increase in the quan- 

 tity of produce, it is equal to ]>arley on medium soils; and on 

 strong lands greatly superior to it, though very apt to leave the 

 land in a more foul and compact condition. On cold, tenacious, 

 and wet descriptions of soils, the oat may, indeed, in many cases, 

 be sown with more advantage than any other kinds of crop, and 

 likewise where lands cannot be put in a proper condition for bar- 

 ley crops. 



Oats succeed well after almost every variety of green and root 

 crops, but should not be cultivated after wheat, rye or barley, 

 where it can possibly be avoided, as the soil, by such cropping, 

 would be too greatly exhausted. It has been observed that, in 

 districts where improved methods of husbandry are adopted, oats 

 are generally grown upon such lands as have been newly broken 

 up from the state of grass, and that the practice is shown to be 

 perfectly correct, by the abundance of the produce in such cases. 

 The custom prevailing in many parts of our country, of cultiva- 

 ting oat crops in succession for several years, is equally absurd 

 and improper, and should be generally exploded. In regard to 

 the preparation for this crop, I would recommend, if they are to 

 be sown on land planted with potatoes or corn, that immediately 



