OATS. 399 



straw, and the quantity of seed. It presented a peculiar 

 appearance, from the fact the panicles all drooped to one 

 side, looking like a plume. It was in its full tide of suc- 

 cess when the rust made its appearance in Tennessee, com- 

 plely destroying, for several years, oat culture, and many 

 persons attributed the outbreak of the rust to this variety 

 of oats, and it has not been grown to any extent since. It 

 is a very valuable variety, and well deservers to be restored 

 to popular favor. 



The many varieties of oats cultivated in the North, where 

 oat culture is more popular than here, are but little known 

 to Tennessee farmers. And, really, it is of but little conse- 

 quence, since the modifications of soil, climate and cultiva- 

 tion would soon obliterate any small difference. We have, 

 it may be said, four varieties that answer all the requisites 

 for successful farming. These are Black oat, White oat, 

 Egyptian oat and Red or Yellow oat. Although the Black 

 oat commands the higher price for seed, there are many who 

 will only sow the White oat. The last two named are not 

 sufficiently known to come in the market as favorites. 



Besides these, a variety of White Spanish oat has been 

 sown to a very limited extent, as a winter oat. In the 

 South, winter oats are more common than Spring. There 

 is, however, no material difference between the winter and 

 spring varieties, as any of the spring oats can be converted 

 in a few years into winter oats. This is done by sowing 

 any variety wished in the fall, and saving what comes to 

 maturity, and resowing next fall. The first harvest but 

 little will be secured, the next harvest possibly half, and the 

 third or fourth year a full crop will be secured. It would 

 be well to acclimatize several varieties to the winter, as the 

 heads will be heavier, though there is less straw. Besides, 

 they afford a good pasture during the winter. 



Although the commercial weight of a bushel of oats is 

 32 pounds, yet some varieties weigh as much as 40 to 45 

 pounds. It is claimed that the Potato oat is the heaviest 



