SUGGESTIONS ON OAT GROWING 
The South is more interested in small grains 
today than ever before in her history—there are 
reasons for this. Small grains fit ideally into the 
soil building program of the AAA and if properly 
handled, will furnish a much needed supple- 
mentary money crop. If there is not a ready sale 
for the grain and the hay crop following, these 
can always be sold through livestock which we 
sorely need to raise more of in the South. 
Furthermore, we now have better bred varie- 
ties of all grains and the growers are demanding 
the best. Many have adopted the practice of buy- 
ing each year seed of the latest pedigreed varie- 
ties, not only to furnish seed for their general 
planting the following year but with the expecta- 

ae he y. 
Heads from typical volunteer oat—segregates of chance 
crosses on Red Rust Proof types. 
tion of selling the surplus to their neighbors. 
Many states have organized Crop Improvement 
Associations that certify varieties and crops that 
meet their strict requirements of varietal purity, 
freeness from mixture, noxious weeds, etc. Certi- 
fied seed sell more readily and command a higher 
price than uncertified seed of the same variety. 
Some growers of approved varieties have had 
their crops refused certification due to the pres- 
ence of volunteer plants, foreign crop seed or 
noxious weeds. This could be easily remedied and 
this most worthwhile service be utilized. 
We make the following suggestions which, if 
followed, will help maintain varietal purity, an 
essential requirement for certification: 
1. Plant your oats or wheat on land that you 
know, from past experience, to be good grain land 
and free of all noxious weeds, foreign seed or 
volunteer grain. 
2. Check fields carefully and see that none of 
these plants are present on ditchbanks, hedge- 
rows or roadways adjacent to field. If they are, 
you can rest assured that seed have been scat- 
tered by birds, wind, rains or other means and 
will show up in your field the following spring. 
3. Examine carefully and have tested all 
legume seed used and be certain that they carry 
no small grain or other foreign seed. 
4. Hard seed in vetch often germinate the 
second year and furnish a troublesome source 
of mixture. Small grain growers must recognize 
this fact and plan their cropping system so as 
to avoid. 
5. Never plant on land planted to any small 
grains the previous year. 
6. Never use rough stable manure if stock 
have grazed or been fed with oats. 
7. In all sections where small grains are grown, 
seed will be scattered by birds or other means, to 
fields in that vicinity, so in all fields will be 
found some volunteer plants coming from such 
sources. We urge all growers to carefully check 
their fields and pull out all off-type or foreign 
plants before having fields inspected for certifi- 
cation. 
