OATS 173 



an ideal preparation for oats. But some manur- 

 ing will pay for the crop. Not stable manure, for 

 that you can better employ on the clover or pea 

 land for corn-. If your soil naturally tends to " down " 

 oats, use no nitrogen in the fertilizer, only potas- 

 sium and phosphorus. Make your own fertilizer 

 by mixing 1,800 pounds of 14 per cent acid phos- 

 phate and 200 pounds of muriate of potash, using 

 about 100 pounds to the acre. For worn-out land 

 a fertilizer consisting of 1,600 pounds of acid phos- 

 phate, 200 pounds of cottonseed meal, and 200 

 pounds of muriate of potash is a satisfactory com- 

 bination for oats. From 150 to 250 pounds may be 

 used to the acre. 



Where oats follow cowpeas in the fall, or clover 

 in the spring, the nitrogen constituent of the fer- 

 tilizer may be eliminated and the first-named fer- 

 tilizer used. The cowpea field, its crop of peas 

 harvested and made into hay, is ideal for oat pro- 

 duction. Plowing is unnecessary, since it is to be 

 supposed that the land has been thoroughly broken 

 as a preparation for peas, and now the disk only 

 is needed to chop the stubble and loosen the top 

 soil. The pea roots have gone deep into the soil, 

 and have opened^ and loosened it for air circulation, 

 and rendered the soil comfortable — a good thing to 

 the less vigorous roots of the oat plant. 



For Hay or Grain. — " I never let my oats ripen. 

 I prefer to cut them early and make them into 

 hay," said a speaker at an institute last summer. 



" What is your reason for that ? " was the ques- 

 tion at once asked. He answered : " Because I am 

 after hay, and when oats are cut while yet green 

 and while still in the dough state, they make a most 

 desirable feeding stuff in every way for all kinds 



