George Washington Carver: A National Agricultural Library Digital Exhibit

1911

National Agricultural Library

Only a small portion of the area of the Southern States is devoted to the production of oats. The average production for the past ten years of 16 States was about 870,000,000 bushels, or 8.5 per cent of the crop of the United States. The average acre yield was 21.8 bushels and the average acre value $10.09.

Winter oats are a valuable crop for the South, as they form a soil cover during winter, which prevents washing, and produce considerable quantities of grain and forage for stock.

Winter oats are superior to spring oats in the South, as they mature earlier, provide a soil cover, produce larger yields, and allow more time for the preparation of the land for spring crops.

Two types of winter oats are commonly grown, the Red Rustproof and the Winter Turf. The Red Rustproof is rather less hardy than the Winter Turf, but yields more grain and matures earlier. The latter is recommended for the northern portions of the winter-oat belt and for use as a hay and pasture crop.

Winter oats can be grown in all the Southern States and as far north as Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and southern Missouri. The crop is not certain to survive the winter over a large portion of this area, however.

Winter Oats for the South