636 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



start this at 4 o'clock in the morning, so you see we are early- 

 risers. . . . 



Chinese Huskless Oats in Nyasaland. 



A friend of a Fellow of the Society called upon the Secretary in the 

 early autumn of 1909 before returning to Nyasaland, where he is 

 farming. He is conducting many experiments in fruit and grain 

 growing, and about twelve months ago he sent his first small consign- 

 ment of apples. Considering the long time taken in transit and the 

 difficulty of transport they arrived in very fair condition, enabling one 

 to see that the produce was of good quality. Flavour was somewhat 

 lacking, as might be expected, for the fruit had to be gathered while 

 still unripe and had to travel far through very hot regions. 



Mr. Cameron being anxious to experiment with the huskless oat, 

 seed was procured for him from China, and sent out to him. The 

 following letter tells of the results obtained: — 



Ntondwe, Zomba, Nyasaland : 



November 17, 1910. 



I write to thank you for the huskless oats received about a year 

 ago, and to let you know that they have been so far a remarkable 

 success. 



I sowed half of the seed and about a score of plants came up. 

 These were reduced by insects to about half this number, and 

 again reduced by rabbits until I had only five plants remaining. These 

 I protected every night by placing a basket over them so that the 

 rabbits could do no further harm. They were planted just before 

 the rains, and by the time the wet season was over they began to get 

 ripe. No sooner were they cut down than they began to produce a 

 number of suckers which gave a second crop. These suckers, I find, 

 can be detached from the plant and cultivated individually with success. 



From some of the seed obtained from this crop I planted eleven 

 lines forty-six feet long, two feet between the lines and one foot 

 apart in the lines during the dry season and watered by irrigation; 

 besides, another four lines in soil naturally damp, marshy soil, or here 

 called a dambo. To commence with, the oats were thinned out by the 

 mole-cricket and other grubs, and I was afraid they were going to be 

 rendered a total failure by a variety of green fly which attacked the 

 survivors. The plants, however, grew fully seven feet high, and are 

 now ripe and are at the same time producing a second crop of suckers 

 which are coming into ear. 



Taking one head or spike, from this was obtained 130 grains; 

 and, remember, each plant produces a number of heads. The spikes 

 you sent out were eight inches long; some of the spikes grown here 

 are fully twenty-eight inches long ! On yours the distance between 

 the joints in the spike is about two inches, while here it is fully five 

 inches. I noticed one plant only about three feet high, and the spike 

 weighed down with seed, its point actually touching the ground. 



