A V 



A V 



plenty. This Sort is efteemed, be- 

 caufe the Grain threlhes clean out of 

 the Hufk, and need not be carried to 

 the Mill to be made into Oatmeal 

 or Grift. An Acre of Ground doth 

 not yield fo many Bumels of thefe, 

 as of the common Oats, by realon 

 the Grain is fmall and naked, and 

 goes near in Mealure ; but what is 

 wanting in the Meafure, is iupplied 

 in Value. 



The red Oats are much cultivated 

 in Derbvhire, Stafford/hire, and Cbe- 

 Jhire ; but are never feen in any of 

 the Counties near London ; though, 

 as they are very hardy, and give a 

 good Increafe, they would be well 

 worth propagating, efpecially for all 

 llrong Lands. 



The Straw of thefe Oats is of a 

 browninYred Colour, as is alfo the 

 Grain, which is very full and heavy, 

 and elteemed better Food for Horles 

 than either of the former Sorts. 



Oats are a very profitable Grain, 

 and abfolutely neceiTary, being the 

 principal Grain which Horfes love; 

 and are efteemed the moil who'fome 

 Food for thofc Cattle, being fweet, 

 and of an opening Nature ; other 

 Grains being apt to bind, which is 

 injurious to labouri n g Horfes : but 

 if you feed them with this Grain, 

 foon after they are houfed, before 

 they have fvveat in the Mow, or are 

 otherwife dried, it is as bad on the 

 the other hand ; for they are then too 

 laxative. 



This Grain is a great Improve- 

 ment to many Eftates in the North 

 of England, Scotland, and Wales ; for 

 it will thrive on cold bafren Soils, 

 which will produce no other Sort of 

 Grain ; it will alfo thrive on the hot- 

 ted Land : in fhort, there is no Soil 

 too rich or too poor for it, too hot 

 or too cold for it : and in wet Har- 

 vefts, when other Grain is fpoiled, 

 this will receive little or no Damage ; 



the Straw and Hufks being of fo dry 

 a Nature, that, if they are houfed 

 wet, they will not heat in the Mow, 

 or become mouldy, as other Grain 

 ufualiy do ; fo is of great Advantage 

 in the Northern Parts of England % 

 and in Scotland, where their Harvefl 

 is generally late, and the Autumns 

 wet. 



The Meal of this Grain makes to- 

 lerable good Bread, and is the com- 

 mon Food of the Country-people in 

 the North. In the South it is elieem- 

 ed for Pottage, and other MefTes ; 

 and, in fome Places, they make Beer 

 with this Grain. 



The belt time for fowing of Oats 

 is in February or March, according 

 as the Seafon is early or late ; and 

 fometimes I have known it fown in 

 April, and has been early ripe. The 

 black and red Oats may be fown a 

 Month earlier than the white, be- 

 caufe they are hardier. 



Oats are often fown on Land 

 which has the former Year produced 

 Wheat, Rye, or B.irlev. The com- 

 mon Method is to plow in the Stub- 

 ble about the Beginning of 'February, 

 and low the Oats, and harrow them 

 in; but then they mull be harrowed 

 the fame Way as the Furrows, lie ; 

 for, if it be done crofs-ways, the 

 Smbble will be railed on the Surface : 

 but when People have time to p!o\v 

 the Stubble in Autumn, it will ret in 

 Winter; and then giving the Land 

 another Plowing, juft before the 

 Oats are fown, it will make the 

 Ground finer, and better to receive 

 the Grain. Moll People allow four - 

 Buihels of Oats to an Acre; but I 

 am convinced three Eulhels are full 

 enough : the uluai Produce is about 

 twentv-five Buihels to an Acre, tho' 

 I have fometimes known more than 

 thirty Buihels on an Acre. 



Oats are alfo fown upon Land 

 when it is firft broken up, before the 

 L 3 Ground 



