16 FOKAGE-CEOP EXPERIMEXTS AT SAX ANTOXIO. 



profitable crop. The oats are ordinarily seeded iii October or Xovem- 

 ber and are not pastured imtH the plants are well established, which 

 is some time in December, dependmg on the weather conditions. If 

 a hay crop is to be secured, the stock is taken off as soon as the sprmg 

 gi'owth starts. Little is known as to the extent of the damage done 

 to the crop by grazing, but farmers believe that the wmter pasturage 

 alone in a year of normal ramfall is worth all it costs. 



Table XI shows the pelds of oats gi'o\Mi durmg the years 1908 to 

 1911. In 1910 three local varieties were obtained to compare with 

 four varieties introduced by the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture. These varieties were the Texas Ked Rustproof, Hastmgs' 

 Hundred Bushel, and the Wiater Turf. The plats were one-fifth of 

 an acre m size, and the land had been summer-fallowed the precedmg 

 year in each case. 



P'able XI. — Yields of oats hay at the San Antonio Experiment Farm, in 1908-1911, 



inclusive. 



^ . 



Yield of hay (for single plats, except as indicated). 



Variety. 



1908 1909 1910 1911 Average. 



2 1,474 



l,So5 



2,624 



2 1,146 



Failed. ; 



1,826 



1,260 



2, 120 1 



1,690 



800 



2, 130 ! 



1,465 



3 2,000 



1,730 



1,865 



3 1,780 





1 780 



3 940 





940 



Pounds. Pounds. ] Pounds. Pounds. ' Pounds. 



Appier Rustproof ' 4, 720 2. 399 



Culberson Winter 4, 170 i 1. 



Texas Red Rustproof 



Hastings' Hundred Bushel 



Winter Turf I 3 2, 000 



Virginia Gray 



Snoma , ._ , 



I \ I 



1 Averages of four plats. 



2 Averages of five plats. 



3 The actual weight on these plats was less than the figures indicate, as the hay was not thoroughly dry 

 when weighed. 



From the tests made thus far the variety of oats known as the 

 Appier Eustproof has proved to be the best for this locality, although 

 the 1911 test apparently does not mdicate this superiority. The low 

 yield of the Appier Rustproof oats m 1911 was probably due to the 

 followmg causes: The four plats, which were planted Avith diftVrent 

 rates of seedmg, were located north of four ])lats of Culberson winter 

 oats, which were so severely affected with rust that they were not 

 worth cuttmg. As the prevailmg winds are from the southeast, the 

 rust spores were undoubtedly carried from tlie Culberson Winter oats 

 to the Appier Rustproof oats, causmg a much more severe infestation 

 than would otherwise have been the case. A plat of Appier Rust- 

 proof oats on the south side gave a hay yield of 2,260 pounds, and the 

 average yield of this variety in the rotation })lats was 2,437 pounds 

 per acre. (PL II, fig. 2.) 



[Clr. 100] 



