ON THE ARABLE I.AND
500
Tartarian oat .—The variety which bears this name is knownby its pendulous head or panicle hanging all to one side, bywhich its grains are always directed from the wind, thereforenot easily shaken. But it is a late grain, and very coarse andthick-husked, producing consequently a small proportion ofmeal, and bears therefore a poor character in Scotland , wherethat criterion is of very material importance *.
Dun oat _This variety is described as of a dirty grey co-
lour, nearly resembling common white oats that have beenheated in the stack. It produces only a small quantity ofstraw ; but gives good crops of grain, with thin husks, whichyield a large proportion of meal.
Naked oat .—This is a distinct species of oat, the avenanuda of botanists, and is introduced here on the authority ofthe late I)r Walker, professor of Natural History in the uni-versity of Edinburgh . In one instnnce, Professor Walkersowed some of this kind of oats on the 29th April, and thecrop was ripe by the 15th September-, from which circum-stance it must be a very early kind. It has received its namefrom the circumstance of the seed not being enveloped firmlyby its shell or chaffy husk, so that the grnin falls naked fromthe head like wheat; yet, as the panicle leans all to one sidelike the Tartarian oat, it is by no means so easily shaken asmight be expected. The meal of this oat is very differentfrom that of other oats, and is accounted equal to that ofwheat in those places where it is cultivated f.
The foregoing list of varieties of oats, might have beenenlarged by the insertion of several others, but to very littlepurpose, as their distinctions and descriptions are by nomeans well defined in agricultural writings. From the listalready given, and the observations made on each, agricultu-rists may easily select proper kinds ior experiment, in the soilsand situations which they respectively occupy ; and, perhaps,there is no ordinary crop that requires more judgment in se-