54 



Experiments in Growth of Oats. 



2. The new varieties are the heaviest and therefore the largest. 

 This indicates the result of selection and hybridisation of recent 

 years. 



3. The influence of the season on the grain is seen by com- 

 paring the weights of each variety for the three years. Some are 

 hardly affected, others show great variation. 



4. If the seed is sown by weight, since it will take nearly twice 

 the number of seeds from the Sandy variety to produce the same 

 weight as those from the Storm King variety, a plot of the latter 

 will only contain about half as many plants as a plot of the 

 former, provided the germinating power is the same in each 

 case. Hence the last column, if taken in the inverse ratio, will 

 give the relative number of plants on each plot. 



The percentage of husk in a sample of oats is influenced by 

 the variety as well as the season in which it is grown. 



In a wet season, inasmuch as the kernels are generally larger 

 and more uniform, the percentage of husk is smaller. 



The average weight of husk on 200 grains during these three 

 years was as follows : — 1900 = 1*82 grams., 1901 = 1*827 grams., 

 1902, a wet season, = 1*573 grams. 



The table below shows the percentage of husk in the fourteen 

 varieties of oats during the seasons 1 900-1 902 : — 



II. — The Percentage of Husk in Oats. 



Name of Variety. 



1900. 



1901. 



1902. 



Average. 



Goldfinder 





25-94 



23-04 



24-49 



Abundance 



24*38 



26-35 



24-92 



25*22 



Newmarket 



2479 



26-68 



24-89 



25H5 



Banner 







25'57 



25*57 



Waverley... 



2672 



2682 



25-05 



26*20 



Sandy 



27-54 



2971 



22*21 



26-49 



Longhoughton ... 



29-29 



28-63 



22-90 



26-94 



Hamilton... 



28*39 



2965 



2335 



27-13 



Potato 



29-30 



29-35 



22*98 



27*21 



Golden Giant 



30-10 



28*98 



24-42 



2783 



Black Tartarian ... 



29*66 



30-22 



28 1 1 



2933 



Tartar King 



3 X, 95 



33 92 



29'96 



3I-94 



Storm King 







32'2I 



32*21 



Pioneer ... 



36-18 



35-7I 



31-33 



34-40 



An examination of this table will indicate the following 

 points : — 



1. In every pound of Goldfinder there are 4 oz. of husk, whilst 

 in a pound of Pioneer there are 5 J oz. 



