154 FIELD CROP PRODUCTION 



bushels of oats and imported annually 1,665,000 bushels. 

 Much of the export goes to European markets, where 

 a crop shortage usually exists. The import is largely 

 from Canada, and smaller amounts come from northern 

 Europe for seed purposes. Sometimes in years of crop 

 shortage here, oats are imported from countries other than 

 Canada, usually from Argentina. 



ADAPTATION 



142. Climate. Oats are best adapted to a cool, 

 moist climate, and reach their best development in Great 

 Britain, Norway, Germany, Canada, and the northern 

 part of the United States. They do not grow well in hot 

 climates unless favored with an abundance of rainfall, 

 and are therefore not as productive in the southern part 

 of the United States as they are farther north. Not 

 only does the climate affect the yield, but it also has a 

 considerable influence upon the physical character of the 

 grain. Varieties grown in warm climates are usually less 

 plump and have a lighter weight per bushel than those 

 grown in cooler climates. When grown in warm climates, 

 frequently long awns are produced and the grains are 

 often a gray or dun color, with a high percentage of hull. 

 Northern grown varieties more often have short, plump 

 grains, with a short awn, low percentage of hull, and high 

 weight per bushel. Sometimes growers secure their 

 seed every few years from states farther north, with a 

 view to improving the crop and increasing the yield above 

 that secured from native seed. Experiments at the 

 Ohio and Iowa stations indicate that little improvement 

 may be expected from this practice. At the Ohio Station 

 seed secured from northern states did not produce better 

 than home grown seed of the same variety. 



