On the Cultivation of Oats. 



127 



ground is very light, but if so it is always rolled when the weather 

 becomes droughty. 



The quantity of seed sown per statute acre in Scotland varies 

 from 3^ to 5i bushels. The early and small seeded oats, such as 

 the Potato and Sandy, are always sown thinner by about 1^ bushels 

 to the acre than the coarser-grained sorts, such as the Late 

 Angus and Tartarian varieties. The error of the Scotch farmer 

 hitherto has been to use considerably more seed than what is 

 necessary. The moistness of the climate has greatly favoured the 

 practice, and counteracted its bad effects by keeping these thickly- 

 sown crops in a healthy growing state ; but in a drier climate the 

 same error would occasion much more mischief, inasmuch as the 

 thicker a crop is sown the more does it suffer ultimately from 

 long- continued drought. Three bushels of early and small-seeded 

 oats are quite sufficient to sow an imperial acre with, and 4 bushels 

 of the coarser- grained sorts. 



When oats are sown after pasture, or sheep folded lea, they 

 seldom receive or require any manure, but after hay the crop is 

 greatly benefited by 2 or 3 cwt. of guano harrowed in along with 

 the seed. The increased quantity of straw obtained will, from its 

 valuable forage qualities, nearly repay the cost of the guano, 

 while the proportionate increase of grain will yield a profit besides. 

 In dropping summers the action of guano on the oat-crop is very 

 marked, in dry years less so ; but in almost every instance it will 

 pay itself, and something more, provided the error of too thick 

 sowing be not Committed. It is the tendency of guano, when 

 sown along with oats, to produce a strong, thick, powerfully tiller- 

 ing plant, but if too much seed be used the plants will become 

 over crowded, and if a track of dry weather set in about the time 

 of earing, the crop will fall off rapidly in bulk, and cut a very 

 sorry figure at harvest. The application of guano to the oat-crop 

 in south England, therefore, should always be accompanied by 

 early and thin sowing, in order that the plants may strike their 

 roots deep into the grovmd, and be supplied with moisture even 

 when dry weather prevails.^ 



The foregoing remarks, in this section, on the sowing of oats 



* Mr. Gardiner of Barochan, who has been a most indefatigable labourer in the field 

 of experimental inquiry, published in the ' Transactions of the Highland Society of 

 Scotland' the results of a series of experiments with special manures on the growth of 

 oats, from which it appears that 1 cwt. of 'Peruvian guano, 2 cwt. of common salt, 

 1 cwt. of animal charcoal, and ^ cwt. of sulphate of magnesia (Epsom salts), costing 

 in all only 19s. Qd., produced per acre within a peck of 20 bushels more than that 

 portion where no manure had been applied. The quantities of oats yielded per acre 

 were 8 qrs. 6 bush. 3 pecks, and 6 qrs. 3 bush, respectively. In another instance, 

 on moss-land, a mixture of 1 cwt. Peruvian guano, 1 cwt. animal charcoal dissolved 

 in ^ cwt. of sulphuric acid, 1 cwt. common salt, 1 cwt. of silicate of soda, and 1 cwt. 

 of horn-dust, costing in all \l. 145. Id., gave an increase of nearly 24 bushels of grain, 

 the relative quantities being 8 qrs. 6 bush. 3 pecks where the manures were applied, 

 and only 5 qrs. 7 bush, on the portion not manured. The silicates are highlj^ useful 

 on soft soils, in giving greater firmness to the culms of oats. 



