OATS IN THE WESTERN HALF OF THE
UNITED STATES
By T. R. STANTON, Senior Agronomist, and F. A. COFFMAN, Associate Agronomist,
Office of Cereal Crops and Diseases, Bureau of Plant Industry
CONTENTS
Page Page
Importance of the crop---------------------- 1 Seeding oats---------------------------.----- 11
Oat areas .-------------------------------- 1 Methods of sowing the seed-------------- 11
The Great Plains area --------.-------- 2 Seeding rates---------------------------- 12
Rocky Mountain and intermountain Date of seeding-------------------------- 12
area -- ----..-- -------------------- - 3 Cultivation of oats-------------------------- 13
Pacific area .------------------- .--..-- - 3 Harrowing------------------------- - 13
Soils -----------------------.----------------. 4 W eeding----.-____- --__ ------- --_- ------ 13
Manures and fertilizers ---- ...---------- 4 Harvesting the crop ----------------------- 14
Rotations ------------------------ ---.. - 5 Cutting--------------------------------- 14
Dry-land sections------------------------ 5 Shocking--____-___-.-------------------- 15
Irrigated sections --________________----. 7 Stacking...---- ___--_.---------------- 15
HIumid sections-------------------------- 7 Threshing-...._--- -------------------- 16 16
Seed-bed preparation------------------------ 7 Varieties------------------------------------ 17
Dry-land conditions--------------------- 8 Varieties for the Great Plains area ._..- 18
Irrigated conditions--------------------- 9 Varieties for the Rocky Mountain and
Humid conditions---.--- __------------- 9 intermountain area----------..--------- 19
Preparing the seed for sowing---------------- 10 Varieties for the Pacific area -_------- --- 21
Cleaning the seed------------------------ 10 Oats for hay--------------..----------- ----- 22
Seed treatment for smut control--------- 10
IMPORTANCE OF THE CROP
LESS than one-tenth of the annual oat crop of the United States
is produced in the western half of the country. Oats, however,
constitute the second most important cereal grown in
this region. With the development of western agriculture, interest
in the crop is increasing. In most of the region where the crop is
grown yields and grain quality both are good. The crop is grown
primarily to complete rotations and to meet feed requirements for
domestic animals on farms. The high nutritive value of oats as feed
for horses, dairy cattle, sheep, and growing animals is fully appreciated
by stockmen throughout this region. In the almost complete
absence of corn production in many sections, oats constitute one of
the important concentrated feeds for farm animals. Oat straw also
is of considerable value in some sections as roughage for horses and
cattle.
OAT AREAS
On the basis of climatic and other environmental factors, the vast
territory lying west of the ninety-eighth meridian, or geographically
the western half of the United States, may be divided into the Great
Plains area, the Rocky Mountain and intermountain area, and the
Pacific area. (Fig. 1.)
Within each of these areas there are several oat sections, more or
less distinct. In both the Great Plains area and the Rocky Mountain
1