TESTS OF SELECTIONS OF OATS. 17 



Burt X Sixty-Day, but this series includes sufficient strains which are 

 low in yield to bring its general average 2.4 bushels below that of 

 series 50. 



Of the commercial varieties, the highest averages for the five 

 years are shown by series 123, Welcome, 59.8 bushels; 5938, Sixty- 

 Day, 56.9 bushels; 120, Silvermine, 55.7 bushels ; and 118, Silver- 

 mine, 54.6 bushels. Of the varieties included in this test it is probable 

 that these three are the most valuable in the vicinity of the Cornell 

 station. 



PLACE VARIATION. 



The variation in results and in the relative yields of the different 

 strains from year to year has been considerable. This is well shown 

 by the yields of the best 10 hybrids and selections for each year. In 

 certain years the earlier strains represented by the Burt and Sixty- 

 Day types are the best yielders, while in other years the later types 

 represented by the Silvermine or Welcome yield best. This place 

 variation operates to make 1-year varietal tests inconclusive. Un- 

 usual conditions affecting the results may arise in any season. For 

 example, the growing seasons of 1909 and 1910 were both rather hot 

 and dry at the time the oats were filling and ripening. Such condi- 

 tions favor the Sixty-Day type, since it will withstand more hot, dry 

 weather than the later sorts. The seasons of 1911 and 1912 were very 

 different from those of 1909 and 1910. The early parts of these sea- 

 sons were hot and dry, with the exception of early May, 1912. Most 

 of the early-maturing selections ripened under adverse conditions, 

 while the coming of rain and cooler weather gave an advantage to the 

 later varieties. This is evidenced by the fact that the best yielding 

 strains for 1909 and 1910 were early types, represented by the Sixty- 

 Day series, while the best yielding strains for 1911 and 1912 were 

 later types, represented by the Silvermine series. 



COMPARISON OF THE BEST SELECTIONS WITH COMMERCIAL VARIETIES. 



After the tests had been conducted for two years it seemed desirable 

 to compare the yielding capacity of the different strains with some 

 commercial varieties. A number of such varieties were brought 

 into the test in 1909, but owing to lack of room only a few tests were 

 made of each variety. More varieties have been added from time to 

 time, so that at present most of the well-known commercial varieties 

 are included. It was necessary to reduce the number of commercial 

 varieties in 1911, but all of them were put back into the test for 1912. 



Among the commercial varieties which were tested in 1909, 1910, 

 and 1912, the highest average yield was obtained from the Lincoln 

 variety, 65.1 bushels to the acre. This yield is 0.1 bushel higher 

 than that of Welcome selection 123-5. In several larger tests con- 

 ducted in different parts of the State during 1912, selection 123-5 



