' story And Description 
Coker's Pedigreed Victorgrain 
48-93 Oats 
1953 Breeder’s Registered Seed 
This new type of Victorgrain, first distributed in limited 
quantities in the fall of 1950, has now been in general farm 
production in the South for three years. During this period 
of time, thousands of practical grain growers have had op- 
portunity to evaluate this new variety under actual farm-test 
conditions. It has been so widely accepted by these growers 
that it has been necessary to constantly expand our acreage 
for the production of Registered Seeds. Although no official 
estimates are available, we are convinced that, over the past 
two years, more Registered Seeds of Victorgrain 48-93 have 
been distributed than of any other variety now being grown 
in the South. 
ORIGIN 
In the course of routine reselection of the older Victorgrain, 
a variant type appeared which was entered in a preliminary 
strain test in 1946-47 and in our local variety test in 1947-48. 
This particular reselection, first increased as Block No. 93 in 
1948, proved to be outstanding in several important respects. 
On the basis of these tests and observations, full-scale in- 
crease was begun in the fall of 1949, and small quantities 
were marketed the following year under the designation 
Victorgrain 48-98. 
It was clear even in the early stages of increase that Victor- 
grain 48-93 showed more tolerance to Helminthosporium 
blight under field conditions than the older Victorgrain variety 
being grown at that time. However, only the more extensive 
tests conducted in the following seasons, over a wider range 
of conditions, could demonstrate the full degree of its superi- 
ority over the parent variety and other competing varieties. 
This variant type, so distinctly different from and superior 
to the older Victorgrain, fully deserved renaming as a new 
variety and perhaps should have been assigned an entirely 
new name. 
AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 
The comparative yield data presented above show conclu- 
sively that Victorgrain 48-93 is a highly productive variety. 
However, as stated by Coker Consultant, Dr. T. R. Stanton, 
in Vol. III of the National Oat Newsletter, “factors or char- 
acteristics other than yield sometimes determine farmer ac- 
ceptance of a new variety.” Among these other desirable 
characteristics are listed cold resistance, forage production, 
short straw, earliness, grain quality, suitability for combin- 
ing, and as a companion crop for seedings of lespedeza, 
clovers, etc. 
Even though extreme hardiness is not required in the main 
portions of the southern oat belt, a variety should have suf- 
cient cold resistance to withstand the below-normal tem- 
perature drops so frequently occurring even in the deep South. 
Victorgrain 48-93 possesses such hardiness. 
Victorgrain 48-93 has the semi-winter habit of growth 
which has been found to produce uniformly good grazing from 
early fall through late spring. Less hardy, upright types af- 
ford adequate grazing only in early fall, and the more pros- 
trate winter varieties usually do not provide satisfactory 
grazing until late spring. 
The relatively short. stiff straw of Victorgrain 48-93 makes 
this variety ideally suited to combine harvesting. It has with- 
stood windstorms that have left other types completely 
lodged. Combine operators report that it threshes clean and 
easily, yielding a product which can be processed economically 
and with minimum recleaning waste. The kernels are large, 
plump, thin-hulled, with high test-weight and excellent feed 
value. They bear practically no awns. 
The growth of Victorgrain 48-93 is sufficiently vigorous to 
produce high yields of good quality grain but is not so rank 
as to smother out lespedeza or other companion crops which 
are, in many sections, of considerable importance in them- 
selves. 
DISEASE RESISTANCE 
Victorgrain 48-93 has been resistant to all prevalent races 
of crown (leaf) rust in the U. S. including race 45 and its 
biotypes. It is susceptible to some newer races now present 
in Florida. Through the 1952 season, these new races of rust 
did not appear in any significant proportions in any fields 
above Florida. The probable future development of these races 
cannot at this time be predicted; nor is it possible to foresee 
the extent of damage that may occur in fields of Victorgrain, 
SAMUEL J. HADDEN 
Plant Breeder in Charge 
Small Grain Breeding and Development Program 
Arlington, Atlantic, Southland, or other Victoria derivatives, 
all of which are susceptible to these races. Inspection of 
plantings of Victorgrain in Florida last spring, however, 
showed that even under the most extreme conditions of ex- 
posure, the infection was not as damaging as might be ex- 
pected of a very virulent race. In our opinion, these races 
will not be as virulent on the Victoria derivatives as is race 
45 on varieties such as Taggart, Delair, and Fla. 167, except 
possibly in the Florida-Gulf Coast region. 
Victorgrain 48-93 is not considered resistant to Helminthos- 
porium (Victoria) blight, but, at the time that this disease 
was causing some losses, it was observed that the new Vic- 
torgrain 48-93 showed considerably more field tolerance than 
some other varieties of similar origin. 
Of the three prevalent races of loose smut, Victorgrain 
48-93 is resistant to two and susceptible to one. Even though 
this variety has been in extensive production for several 
years, we have had no reports of smut infection in farmers’ 
fields. Apparently increased emphasis on the importance of 
seed treatment has helped prevent the development and spread 
of smuts and other seed-borne diseases. We strongly recom- 
mend that all seed lots of oats be Ceresan treated, and that 
oats do not follow oats in a rotation. 
DESCRIPTION 
Plant: Semi-procumbent—profuse tillering. Cold resistant, 
ideal height—about the same as original Fulgrain. Will 
not interfere with lespedeza or similar crop where inter- 
planted. 
Smut Resistance: Resistant to most races, susceptible to 
one race. 
Rust Resistance: Highly resistant to prevalent races of 
crown rust. Susceptible to race 101. 
Blight Resistance: Significantly more tolerant than previous 
strains. 
Season: 7 to 10 days earlier than Stanton, Letoria, Arlington, 
Lee. 
Heads: Long and well-balanced. 
Straw: Very stiff, storm resistant. Ideal for combining. 
Grains: Larger than in strains previously grown. Attractive, 
bright, resisting weather stain. Plump, well-filled groat, 
high feed value. 
Production: One of the best varieties which we have bred or 
tested. 
Uniformity: The most uniform variety that we have ever 
released. 
PRICES 
Tito, 16-bushels ge eee ee ee $3.75 per bu. 
16 to48i bushels oe Seo 3.50 per bu. 
Agsbushelspandsup peewee ee ee 3.25 per bu. 
Shipping charges prepaid. 
These Oats Treated With New Improved Ceresan 
