144 Summary of Agricultural Experiments, [may, 



comparatively rich in oil, and overlap the old varieties to some extent; 

 (4) Newmarket, Tartar King, and Storm King are poor in oil. He 

 considers that the high reputation of Scotch oatmeal may be to some 

 extent due to the richness in oil of such largely grown varieties as 

 Potato and Sandy. 



The old varieties are also on the average the higher in albuminoids, 

 but the difference in this case is not so great or so consistent. Potato 

 contained 15*16 per cent, and Sandy 16*33 P er cent. The new varieties 

 ranged from 13*47 to 15*04 per cent., with the exception of Storm King, 

 which, though thick-husked and poor in oil, contained 16*49 P er cent, 

 of albuminoids. 



The effect of the weather on the composition of oats was also 

 examined, and the percentage of oil appeared to be generally higher 

 in dull cool seasons, and that of albuminoids higher in fine dry seasons, 

 but on this point further evidence is required. 



Composition of Straw. — As far as chemical composition alone is 

 concerned, the straw of the new varieties appeared to be quite as good 

 as that of the old, the percentage of albuminoids being slightly higher. 



The following is the percentage composition of two varieties of 

 grain in 190 1-2, and straw in 1903-4 : — 



Grain. 





Potato. 



Waverley 



No. of analyses 



4 



4 



Water 



I2'23 



12-32 



Dry kernel 



65-82 



65-29 



Dry husk 



21 '64 



2i*95 



Dry kernel ) oil 



9*94 



7 06 



contained ) albuminoids 



14*05 



14-79 



Straw. 









Potato. 



Waverley. 



No. of samples... 



3 



2 



Albuminoids ... 



3'64 



3*62 



Crude fibre ... 



42-27 



44-16 



Ash 



5-06 



5*94 



Containing siliceous matter 



1-48 



1 -96 



Soluble carbohydrates, &c. ... 



49*o3 



46-27 



Varieties of Oats (Univ. Coll. of N. Wales, Bangor, Bull. 5, 1909). — 

 Twenty-one varieties of oats were grown at Madryn in 1909. The 

 yields were remarkably good, and there was little to choose between 

 a number of the best plots. The first five in yield were Schlandstedter 

 (114 bus. of 42 lb.), Beseler's Prolific (109 bus.), Abundance (108 bus.), 

 Banner (108 bus.), and Wide Awake (106 bus.). This experiment has 

 been carried on for seven years and results are given in the report for 

 each year. Over this period there has been little difference between 

 such well-known varieties ps Abundance, Newmarket, Wide Awake, 

 Banner, Waverley, and Stable King. Daubeny and the German varie- 

 ties — Beseler's Prolific, Schlandstedter, and Anderbecker, have not been 

 grown so frequently, but are comparable to the others. The yellow 

 and black varieties never cropped so well at Madryn as many of the 

 white oats. They did better in the early years of the experiment, when 

 the yields were altogether lower and when the land was presumably in 

 poorer condition. Goldfinder proved a useful yellow variety, providedi 

 it was sown early enough to ensure ripening in good time. 



