832 BULLETIN 297, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
ripening at Newell about July 20. The straw is short and the grains 
small and yellow. They are the best varieties for growing on the dry 
farms in the Belle Fourche section. 
TasLeE XVII.—Average dates of heading and maturity, eh per bushel, and yields of 
five leading varieties of oats on the Belle Fourche Experiment Farm, 1908 to 1913; 
inclusive. 
Date of— Yield cre. 
és eo Weight ield per acre 
Group and variety. No cl ie |S |e 
Heading. [Maturity .| PUSHeL | Grain. | Straw. 
Early: Pounds. Bushes Pounds. 
STV PS OTN eee res os a et en reas 459 | June 27 | July 20 30.8 * 800 
SixtysDay cece ee ee ee 165 | June 26 | July 17] 30. ; 19. i 720 
Midseason: 
Canadiana ier a yen eee eee - 444) July 8! July 29 34.5 15.6 1, 080 
SiwedistsS cleCtssres c= a= er eee eer eeree 134 | July 9] Aug. 2 28. 2 15.5 930 
ate: 
WihitesRussiame = 90). 9) 60) ee ees 551 | July 18 | Aug. 8 30. 4 14.6 1,040 
The Canadian is a medium-early oat which has averaged 4 bushels 
less than the Sixty-Day and Kherson at Newell for the six years. 
The yield of straw, however, is greater. The heads are large and 
spreading, and the kernels are white, broad, and very short. This 
variety matures about 10 days later than the Kherson. 
The Swedish Select is extensively grown in the more humid regions 
to the eastward, but it is rather too late for sowing in western South 
Dakota. This is a white oat with kernels of medium length, rather 
broad, and usually bearing a strong, black awn. It matures about 
five days later than the Canadian and about two weeks later than the 
Kherson and Sixty-Day. 
The Big Four is quite similar to the Ss aden Select except that the 
awns are fon and weak. It has produced rather better yields than 
the Swedish Select at Newell each year since 1909, when it was added 
to the test. For the four years from 1910 to 1913 this variety was 
exceeded in average yield only by the Kherson and Sixty-Day and by 
two pure-line selections of the latter variety. It is apparently the 
best of the midseason and late varieties which have been included 1 in 
_the test. 
White Russian is a late side oat, with long and rather slender white 
kernels. The average yield of this variety for the six years is slightly 
lower than that of the Swedish Select and Canadian. It matures 
about one week later than the Swedish Select and about three weeks 
later than the Kherson and Sixty-Day. It can not be recommended 
for growing in the Great Plains. 
RATE-OF-SEEDING TEST OF OATS. 
A rate-of-seeding test with oats was conducted on the Belle Fourche 
Experiment Farm in 1909, 1910, 1912, and 1913. In 1909 and 1910 
the Kherson and in 1912 and 1913 the Sixty-Day varieties were 
