40 BULLETIX 336, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTTJEE. 
severe winter of 1911-12. The average yield for the four years is 8 
bushels less than that of C. I. No. 273. 
From the records at Arlington Farm and College Park in 1912, the 
Culberson appears to rank next in hardiness to the Winter Turf. It 
matures early, produces good yields of grain and straw, and because 
of its hardiness is apparently one of the best varieties for growing in 
this locality. This variety makes a heavier growth of straw and leaves 
than the Bicknell or Red Rustproof and is to be preferred to those 
varieties for the production of hay. 
Red Rustproof.— The Red Rustproof is supposed to have been 
developed from Avena sterilis, a species of wild oat which is native to 
the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. This variety has 
been grown for many years in the southern United States. Its origin 
is not definitely known, though probably it was imported from 
southern Europe. Numerous names have been applied to the Red 
Rustproof and selections from it. These names include Texas Red 
Rustproof, Texas Red, Appier, Bancroft, Cook, Hundred Bushel, 
and Lawson. Some of the selections probably are superior to the 
original variety. 
The Red Rustproof has stiff, rather short straw, with small, short, 
branched heads. The kernels are large, are almost always awned, 
and usually bear basal bristles. The second kernel in the spikelet, 
which is only slightly smaller than the first, usually bears a weak awn. 
The awns, basal bristles, and the long points of the lemmas prevent 
the kernels from packing closely and hence cause the weight per 
bushel of this variety to be low. They also make it difficult to sow 
with the grain drill, as the seed does not feed freely. The average 
weight per bushel at Arlington Farm was 27.3 pounds, as compared 
with 33 pounds for the Culberson and 33.6 pounds for the best strains 
of the Winter Turf in the same years. The Red Rustproof ripens at 
about the same time as the Bicknell and two or three days earlier 
than the Culberson. 
The Red Rustproof is the oat which is most commonly grown from 
both fall and spring seeding in the Southern States. In the vicinity 
of Washington, D. C, it is near its northern limit of winter hardiness, 
as was shown by the low yield produced at Arlington Farm in 1912 
and the total failure at College Park that year. In favorable or even 
in ordinary years the Red Rustproof produces yields as good as or 
better than those of the Culberson and Winter Turf. In severe win- 
ters this variety may be expected to winterkill almost completely. 
At College Park the only lot of Red Rustproof which was grown 
more than one year was C. I. No. 518. This strain produced a low 
yield in 1908, good yields in 1909, 1910, and 1911, and was a total 
failure in 1912. It was not grown in 1913 and 1914. At Arlington 
Farm two unselected lots of the Red Rustproof, C. I. Nos. 256 and 548, 
