156 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I914. 



old Probstier variety. It has proved to be a very high yielder 

 at Svalof giving an average of over loo bushels per acre in a 

 nine year test.' 



It has very stiff excellent straw, medium coarse and varies 

 from 38 to 40 inches in height. The heads are symmetrical and 

 spreading. The grain is long, fairly plump and yellow in color.- 



MEDIUM LATE VARIETIES WITH BLACK GRAINS. 



Two black grained varieties with open heads have been tested, 

 but only one, the Victor, has been continued. In addition to its- 

 black grain, this oat possesses a number of peculiar characteris 

 tics. This oat was produced by the Garton-Cooper Seed Com- 

 pany. According to their description it was "bred from six 

 different parents, two of which are fall oats." It has stiff me- 

 dium coarse straw and grows very tall, averaging 46 to 59 

 inches. The leaves are broad and dark green in color. The 

 heads are very long, symmetrical and very wide spreading with 

 long drooping branches. The grain is very large and plump, 

 similar in shape to the President but of a jet black color. This 

 variety stools well. It is further peculiar in the manner of 

 growth of the young plant. There is a very marked tendency 

 for the young culms to spread out over the ground after the 

 fashion of a true winter cereal. 



MEDIUM LATE VARIETIES WITH CLOSE SIDE HEAD. 



Two varieties of typical side oats or so-called "Horse Mane 

 Oats" are being continued in the variety tests. 



The Senator is an exceptionally large grained oat. The straw 

 is very coarse, averaging from 44 to 48 inches in height. The 

 leaves are very broad, averaging about three- fourths of an inch 

 in width and of a dark green color. The heads are very large, 

 typical side heads. It is not uncommon to find heads with 100 

 to 140 spikelets. The variety stools very little and this undoubt- 

 edly accounts in part for its low yield under a system of uni- 

 form seeding. The grains ave very large and plump (Fig. 58) 

 and of a good white color. In this variety and pin oats are very 

 often enclosed within the hull of the mother oat. On account 

 of its large head and large grain this is a very attractive oat. 



'Newman, L. H. Plant Breeding in Scandinavia, p. 129, Ottawa, 1912. 



