At the Ohio Experiment Station, where seventy one varieties of oats have been under experimenta tion for several years, another classification has been made. There the different varieties have been divided into four groups. (1) In the first or "Wel come" group are placed all varieties with spread ing panicles, and having coarse straw and short, plump grains. (2) In the second or "Wideawake " group are placed those varieties with spreading panicles which have long, slender kernels and longer straw than the Welcome oats. These varieties take a little longer to mature than the preceding. (3) The "Seizure" or third group con tains all the varieties of side oats, those having closed panicles. These take a still longer time to mature. (4) In the fourth or "mixed" group are placed all varieties about the classification of which there is any doubt.
The varieties may be subdivided as to color into white, yellow, red, gray and black oats. The white and yellow oats are grown most largely in the North and are of the greatest economic importance. The red and gray varieties are grown in the South, largely for forage and pasture and may be either winter or spring oats. Black oats are grown in the North but are not con sidered to be so good as the white oats.
Relative values of different types.
The character of the soil and climatic condi tions will largely deter mine which of these varie ties shall be grown in any given locality. Experiments show that in general there is no advantage in yield per acre of oats hav ing the open panicle over those having the closed panicle. The latter varieties are hardier and are undoubtedly better yielders where the growing season is of sufficient length to allow them to mature properly, but greater certainty of a crop is assured through a series of years when the open- panicled, earlier-maturing oats are grown. It has also been found that there is no particular difference in the yields of varieties having short, plump grains and those baying long, slender grains, nor is there any appreciable difference in the weight per measured bushel. (Figs. 719, 720.) The Illinois Station conducted a five-year test with between thirty and sixty varieties, and came to the conclusion that the long, slender kernels gave a higher percentage of grain to hull, while the Ohio Station with seventy varieties one year found that the short, plump grains gave the higher percentage of grain to hull.
Varieties with the long, slender kernels take longer to mature and in a short season would not fill well. This would result in a larger percentage
of hulls and a decrease in weight per measured bushel. The varieties with short, plump grains are early-maturing, and the grains will invariably be well filled, consequently the percentage of hulls will be less. However, in a season long enough to allow the later varieties properly to mature the grains would be well filled and the percentage of hull would be less, so that in general this percent age will be affected more or less by the character and length of the growing season.
Probably a majority of the varieties grown in the United States at the present time are those having short, plump grains. While the yields are not always greater,—in fact may in good seasons be less,—they have the advantage of ripening early enough to escape storms and rust, which often come on a little before harvesting time and tend to lessen the yields or in some cases utterly destroy the crop. The average percentage of grain to hull for American varieties is stated by Hunt in "The Cereals in America" to be 70 per cent.
Variety to sow.
In choosing a variety to sow, the end in view is to secure the highest possible yield of the best grade of grain. To do this a variety must be chosen that is suited to the local conditions. The shorter the season the earlier-maturing must be the variety. There are many well-tried varieties of oats, and with a little care success may be had in growing any of them.
At the Ohio Station it was found that varieties of the Welcome group, with short, plump kernels and open panicle, gave the highest yields per acre and the heaviest weight per measured bushel. In a ten years' trial the following were found to be the best varieties in the group, ranking in the order named : American Banner, Improved American, Colonel and Clydesdale. Of these, the American Banner has been recommended by ten experiment stations, which is more than can be said of any other variety. Other highly recommended varieties are the Swedish Select, White Bonanza, Lincoln and Siberian. In Wisconsin, the Swedish Select oats have averaged ten bushels more per acre than other varieties grown in the same locali ties, and have yielded as high as eighty-five bushels per acre in several instances. In Montana, the same oats have yielded over one hundred bushels per acre. These oats would be well suited to any oat-growing section of the United States.