The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-07-27
From rn Germantown Telegraph,
WHEN SHOULD GRAIN BE cur

mors ~ permit their grain crops io remain 10
the field until fully matured, This il wa
tloughtw VA, indispensably necessary'to secuu
the complete development ofal thoso char
acterslic eHcellcuccs upon which the value
Of u,oai grains, used Tor G,oi Tor g,an aud bossi
IL found intrinsically "a depoud, TO cut H.
therefore, one day bcfore its outirc aud per
fest naturatiou, was supposed 70 detrart ~
SOME cNtent from ia nulntiye powers, aud
consequently to diminish somewhat lhe value
ui the crop, without securing amy advantage
worthy of consideration Ia return. The ~
sumption upon. which THE hypothesis "a prrdi-
Gated r., that tlr stalk actr merely 49, q COHtu-
a. or tubc, through Wbio6, a. ~ grain mr.
h,auds IL, the nutriment Il converted from the
/ soil, No allowance s. made for the action uf
'tl,c vitalzing fluid or sap, which II supposed
/ Ia act merely asA solvent, and isarrcstcd aud
rendered incapable Of operating any G,ora-
Bile action upon the grain, ~ .oon ~ the crup
. is cat, though the stalk be rcplrte with sap,
and tllu grain untitled or immature, Ms own
experience, however, aided by the expert
mcnts and observations OF Others who have
made these phenomena subject OF crtical
aud patient in,cstigalion,inducc ne a. addft
an altogether different view Of the ca-e, and
this, fnd, II the ease with many Of the most
distinguished scientific writer, both in this
country and Ia Europe
ln the ID volume Of British IIu,hand,, pp
, 1867, itit said.
Tho question has, Cor some time been agi-
tatcd. regarding the state ofripcurs in which
grain should be- rcapcd aud IL ha. lo'cn rec
commended - general rule of practice, 10 cut
down the crop hciorr the uppcrmust grain ran
De- shaken out. Taking all diing- into con-d-
Grafton, i seems To be- ihe m}-t prudent plan
to cut the grain before Il (. fully ripe, but
ia tbs a medium course should bc adopted;
Tor although grain, ir aitowcdt6 bcCTmc uo
ripc assume. duh husky hue iu the sample,
yet ii not riprncd cuodgl,, It ,hri'ch ia the
dying"
Cadet dcNauN assori- that grain feapcl X
days before the usual time, h.s thc berries
larger, fuller and finer, and better calculated
Ia resist tlc attacks oi the wccyiL- An,equal
qranuty OF the corn thus rcarcd, with corn
rcaPcd At maturity, gave more bread aud Ola
better quality. Thc proper time for rrapiug
Is that whru the grain, ou being pressed b,r'
tween the fingers has dougly appearance
like acrnmh Of bread just hot fium the oy.
en-"
"Whcn'fllly ripcncd by standing in shocks
uo. dry hour should bc lostin getting il well
secured
i l.andon observes ihat'in harN esiing wheat
the best farmers, both n England and On the
continent, agree that it ought Ia b. cut before
it bccomc+ dead ripe, When this i. the case
the loss j. considerable. both in the field aud
stack -yarI, aud the grain, according to Won
Thacr, produces an inferior -four
These cNtract, from the most distinguished
theoretical aud practical writers ON agri,ul.
turc. might ho multiplied ad n,hniiup; but
enough has been presented, lpr gmc,to show
p. what is the general bclicfupon thi. important
subject My own experience, also, goes Il
corroboratc the correctncs, ol'thc theory which
proposes that all grain intended for human
food, or for feeding animals, be cut at lcas
days briorc"i, becomes mnturr, Ia h,
summer of 1861 had a piece Of oats, about
arruy, wirir'h wrrr rrmurt 1l,iy STOUT I'm,
was that season rather short, and as less thar
a medium crop had been harvested, wishc,
TO preserve the straw of this field in a condi
tion which would render il in some mcasur,
, an efficient substitute Tor ET~fish hay, am
with this view, cut the whole of my oats at
period of their growth when the straw wa
perfectly green, but not before the berrie
had become somwhat hard To the touch, ,thougl
:, ny M rrruuuyriiPr, FROM arpr1rancc75I wa
: induced to believe that about days of dry
warm weather would be required 70 ripcn tn
crop aud in this opinion WAS afcrwarl
confirmed by the time required 10 fully ripe
] a small strip which caused TO bc left nea
: the centre of the field, the preducc of whc
was afterwards carefully ihreshcd and weigh
= cd. The weather WIS favorable during tlt
% harvest aud the sheavcs were stored withou
! injury from the wet. On comparing the pro
ducc of that portion of the field to which tn
sickle had been introduced first, with the pre-
- duce of that which had been allowed to be
I come fully ripe before cutting, there was
perceptible difference in the appearance an
value of the straw. That which was cut frs
g retained its green, brilliant hue, and was eat
en- by my cows and young stock, with th
greatest eagerness and avidity;-whereas thu
from the other section was rejected and wa
I used for littcring horses, hogs, sheep, and 9th
er animals kept on the farm. Since then
have made il an invariable rule to cutm on,
T. , ,(of wheatI r;is,g' but little) as soon as II,
p heads begin to turn. allow the crops iAi
time 10 make, and bind in small shcuve
: which expose for several days tothe sun
the weather be favorable, if not, | stack thcr
V a short time before depositing them in IN
o barn. -A COUNTRY FARMER.
i June ! 1850,
, II a queer rcmnrk was made by an M
| chin Of five years, who had lost n sister b