Spring oat production

"Oats rank next to corn and wheat in crop acreage and value in the United States. But notwithstanding this, less attention has been given to the production of oats than to any other important grain so that yields often have been unsatisfactory and the crop sometimes unprofitable. The essentials for success in oat production are -- Well-prepared land that is retentive of moisture and fairly fertile ; Good seed of suitable varieties, thoroughly cleaned and graded and treated for smut ; Early seeding with a grain drill ; The harvesting of the crop at the proper time ; Careful shocking and stacking so as to preserve the crop from injury by weathering ; Clean thrashing. Directions for making the growing of oats more generally profitable are given in the following pages."--Page [2].