4 maine agricultural experiment station. 



Sowing. 



There has been much discussion over the relative merits of 

 broadcasting and drilHng. The Experiment Station has not 

 carried out any experiments in this direction. On the basis of 

 results obtained elsewhere we have adopted the method of 

 drilling. There are many reasons why drilling is better than 

 the ordinary broadcasting. In the first place, a force feed drill 

 secures a much more even distribution of the seed. In the 

 second place, the seed is placed in the gound at a more uniform 

 depth. In any method of broadcasting some of the seed is 

 deeply covered and some lies on top of the ground. This causes 

 uneven germination and uneven growth of the plants. The 

 chief argument in favor of broadcasting is that the individual 

 plants are less crowded. This is largely offset by the fact that 

 air and sunlight are more accessible to the plants in drills and 

 further by the fact that the -oat plants send their rootlets under 

 the surface of the soil in such a manner that they will absorb 

 nourishment from a relatively large area. 



At both farms we use large disk drills which place the rows 

 7 inches apart. A note of warning should be given in regard to 

 the use of heavy disk drills in very loose soil like that over 

 much of Aroostook. In our first year on Aroostook Farm 

 it was found that the oats were being buried too deeply. After 

 that the method of rolling the land before drilling was adopted 

 with very good results. 



In all cases the land should he rolled immediately after 

 sowing. This packs the soil around the seed and promotes more 

 rapid germination and stronger growth. 



Rate of Seeding. 



With ordinary oats the rate of seeding within certain limits 

 is of less importance than many other things. With a light 

 seeding the plants stool more and with a heavy seeding they 

 stool less so that on the average nearly the same number of 

 heads and the same amount of grain is obtained. Some farmers 

 claim good results with a seeding as light as 5 pecks per acre, 

 while others think they must sow 5 or 6 bushels. To a large 

 extent the proper seeding depends upon the variety. The 

 large grained, heavy strawed, varieties, like the various kinds 



