LARGE proportion of the stands of small-seeded legumes A in the North Central Region of the United States is established with a conipanion crop of spring grain. This spring grain is principally oats. In Wisconsin, over 90% of the legume seedings are mad? in this manner. A companion crop such as oats competes with the legume seedlings in varying degrees for light and moisture, and for mineral nutrients if soil fertility has not been properly ndjusted. Limitations of light may become the dominant factor in competition on the heavy, fertile soils while on the lighter or sandy soils, competition for moisture may limit or eliminate the growth of the small-seeded legume seedlings. The study reported here deals primarily with the influence of spring oats sown at different rates on the establishment of stands of alfalfa and medium red clover. The observations were made over a 4-year period, 1947-1950, at four Experiment Stations in Wisconsin.

SYNOPSISYield comparisons of two corn hybrids, W240 and W255, grown at Wageningen, Netherlands, and Spooner, Wis., showed maximum yields averaging 110 bushels per acre at Wageningen and 68 at Spooner; 5·year averages for W240 were 86.1 and 62.9 respectively. Higher plant populations (28,907 per acre at Wageningen, 11,784 in Wisconsin), uniform rainfall distribution, higher soil fertility, and lower disease incidence contributed to high yields at Wageningen. The stage of maximum maturity required up to 9 more weeks growing season and occurred as much as 6 weeks later at Wageningen than at Spooner.