Oats are one of the most important field crops in certain sections of our country. They will grow in a climate that is too cold for corn to thrive. The states of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota lead in their production. In 1915, the United States raised 1,500,000,000 bushels. This was about 1/4 of the total crop of the world. Our country easily leads all others in the production of this grain. Oats are a favorite crop in certain countries of Europe, such as Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Germany, France and Scotland. Note the northerly latitudes of the countries named. Oats will grow on soil that is not rich enough to produce corn, wheat, or barley. The usual time for sowing them is in the early spring as soon as the danger of freezing is over. Almost all the seeding in our country is in corn-stalks; that is, the oats are sown in fields in which corn was grown the year before. The corn-stalks are dragged down with poles or cut down by disc harrows. Seeding machines sow broadcast great strips at each crossing of the field. Cultivators and harrows follow. Or the oats may be sown with a grain drill. It is thus seen that not a great deal of work is required to sow a crop of oats. As in the case of other small grains, no cultivation is needed. The men here seen are gathering in a rich harvest on the prairies of Illinois. The grain has been cut with a binder. The bundles made by this machine were set in shocks. In these shocks the oats are left to dry for two or three weeks. Then the grain is threshed from the straw. The grain is one of the most valuable stock-foods, especially for cattle and horses. The straw is fed to cattle and used for bedding in barns. Keystone ID: 6399 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.