The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1850-05-01
II RIC ULTUR.lL.
From the Southern Cultiyator.


Early Harvesting OIL Nncat.
Extract Off Letter dated February 3. 1850.
| have heretofore been under the impress.
SION, in common with many others, that what
10 called early harvesting of wheat formed
one item Of good hu.bsndry. | used the term
impression, end not opinion, because II has
been taken up on credit, ~i,hou, the author.
tY Of a single fair experiment that ever
heard or read Of. Acciden', rather than do.
sign, has led me to deub, its truth, and ioI
think it highly probable that wheat should not
be harvest, d uaul the grain has arrived a. the
stage Of full aud complete maturity.
10 the summer Of lS46. seven days after
tho end Of my harvest, IN passing over my
subble field. | gathered q parcel OF heads
which the cylhe had left uncut. Being
struck With the fine quality Of the grain, ]
took a bundle Of wheat from an adj 'ceu'
shock, carried both parcels TO the house,
cleaned tho grain and was surprised TO hud
that as far as the eye could Judge, the ssn-
pies from the standing heads was greatly So.
peror in every respect TO that taken from The
.hock. But knowing iha, the eye could not
decide the relative weights, :rled them in g
small pair Of we'll balanced physic scales and
found that ninety grains OF the first sample
weighed down one hundred Of the other.
- Al sal.ct.I fro, appltpf
shock the best ~heai could get, aud sgsin
sui jscled the two parcels 10 the same test
Ia this trial, the ference in ~els Vas not
81 great, being as ninety four TO one hundred,
still IN favor OF the ahea, ah,ch had been left
standing. | said. seven days after the end OF
harvest, but 10 fact, q, tbs portion OF the crop
Ind been cut three days PRIOR 10 the end, The
heavy ~hea, had been le:, ten days after the
usual time o. harvesting.
T~cnty three ds, % afterwards, that is, thir.
ly after tho close OF my harvest, | collect, d
10 the same way from q neighbor's field near
me, and within few yards Of each other
two other samples. one from the shock and
. the other from heads left uncut. These we're
tried 10 the same scales, and again ninety
grains OF the standing wheat exactly balanced
one bundled OF that harvested al the usual
time. ln every instance, the heaviest wheat
vas larger, rounder and whittier. ! omitted
8 TO measure ~ well as weigh, but feel conf
den, tina. The fully mstured wheat ou'messur
. ed tho other fully as much az i, ou,seighes
: il. All .hsse trials we're made in the prescnc,
two other gentlemen.
T. IF any reliance can be placed 90 these el
9 peri,nenis, they seem TO prove ,ha. farmer
e sus,ain grea, loss from early harvesting, b
e which mean, harvesting baf''" the grain :
4, f,lv mslured A"er that POM, no good rea
:, sou can be gwen for longer delay.
, had intended to make some trials on
N larger scale during the harves, OF lalt year
II but was prevented from doing so by cause
/. beyond my control; and nor send you ,h
II results Of these small ones, TO be submitted,
y you choose, TO NY brother farmers, by va,
Of calling their attention to a subject appsren,
n y no, yet understood.
! Respectfully, yours,
,ft WILLIAM p. TAYLOR
|