The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-06-17
Hnrveat.

but small return from our own investment
this year, owing to the destruction by the joint.
worm, we hope that many OF our subscribers
may reap an abundant harvest. and we shall
give them some few hints about its manage.
ment. a
The 6rst and most important thing to look
Mt is the condition Of the cradles, TO see that
they are properly constructed. They should
be made Of light and seasoned, but sound and
strong materials. A great improvement on
the old mode of making them, though one but
little known, is the substitution OF wire braces
TO the fingers for the wooden ones in general
use. These are to be made OF wire about the
size oil large goose quill, with screw thread
cut on each end one end screws into the finger
and the other passes through the post with a
tap on each side of it. The fingers of cradle
require to be let out or taken up. according to
circumstances. When the wheat is wet from
dew or slight shower, they must be drawn
in, and let out as the grain dries. Now this
necessity Of drawing them up occurs the very
moment when the wooden braces have become
wet, swollen and nnmanageabe. But the
screws are worked equally well at all times.
Besides hardly any two men cut with cradle
hung In the same way and with the fingers set
out exactly In the same manner, and in this
way OF fixing them, each man can in a very
short time, and without trouble alter his cradle
to suit himself. They are lighter also, and do
not cut uT and weaken the fingers by the large
holes which the wooden braces require for
their reception. And lastly,> they are cheap
and durable.
We would urge that the operation be COM
menced as early as the grain will bear il; and
IN deciding upon the proper time To begin, The
farmer should be governed rather by the con.
dtion of the grain than of the straw. Wheat
will sometimes be in the dough state when the
straw is partially green. Such wheat cannot
gain by delay; while there is still sap in the
straw il will cut 80 much more easily that
fifty per cent. more may be saved in a day than
when the straw becomes dry and hard, and
when cut before it is ripe and the heads hang
down. there is much less loss from shattering.
If full force cannot be commanded to secure
the crop IN good time, it may be economy to
lose little in the beginning by shrinking
rather than to risk the loss of mere, both by
shattering and shrinking. Grain cut before
perfect maturity, diminishes in the size OF the
berry but notin the weight per bushel. After
the grain once becomes dry standing in the
head, it soitens with every nights dews, and
lIghtens as II dries IN the day, and the daily
loss is quite serious in this way: and if
drenched by heavy rains it will lose two or three
pounds to the bushel. On the whole it should
be an object to have the crop secured as soon
as possible, and the farmer should not be too
nice in calculating what he may save where
he risks so much, not only from these causes
but from the chance OF storms.
When the harvest commences, some steady,
good reaper should be selected to lead the
gang, with orders to take a steady, moderate
gait that will allow all the other cutters to keep
up their rows, to lose no time, to wait for no
one, and when he has cut out his row, to walk
hack and commence another without delay
Each cutter should have his place assigned
him with positive prohibition from crowding
the man Immediately in front of him. The
best Graders cut wider rows, the inferior cut
narrower. and thus all keep together.
Each cradler should be followed by binder,
who is to bind the iwhea n good sized bundles,
as large as can be tied with single length of
straw. When tied let him drop the bundle
smartly on the butt end SO that most of them
will stand erect. This will ascertain If the
the bundle is well tied and insure detection il it
is not. The binder must keep up. Some peo-
pie do not bind their wheat, but we prefer the
plan decidedly; it is heaped and shocked much
more easily and handled throughout with less
loss. The binder should be followed by heap.
ers, and they by shockers to put the wheat in
''dozens" or shocks according to the condition
OF the grain, care being taking ifit is "dozened'
to put as many of them together as will after
wards make a good sized shock containing
from two and half to five bushels of wheat
Some recommend that revolving horse
CLEAN the scattered wheat. But we doubt the
policv of this. 1t encourages careless cutting,
and it rarely saves much wheat. What il
does get is so tangled that it can hardly ever
be put up SO as to be sheltered from rains, and
as the rake generally comes after the shocks
or dozens il is frequently left on the ground,
where it is almost sure to be caught in rain
and even if saved is go full of gravel, small
stones and dirt as to injure The sample, and
fha mia III
hogs can be got into the field speedily they
make the best cleaners and when they cannot,
and considerable waste is unavoidable, as il
sometimes is, raker had better follow after
each pair of binders.
By properly proportioning the work and by
selecting good leader each hand is tasked
throughout the day every falling back is in
stantly observed, and, the operations SIM
plihed because they are systematized.
How many acres per day should be cut TO
the hand depends so much on the state of the
wheat as TO rpeness, its sanding up, &c. and
on the weather, that IL is impossible to say nc
curateiy. We know a case where a gang of
nine Graders, not selected but belonging solely
TO one estate, averaged five hundred and fifteen
bushels of wheat to the cradle in eleven days,
cutting over three and half acres per day,
but this was an extraordinary feat. Ii was
supposed that three of them cuttwo thousand
bushels ofthe grain. As far as il is allowable
10 speak OF anything so uncertain we may say
that two and half acres is fair average.
Care should be taken as 10 the diet. The
meals should be regular, without too much
fresh meat or vegetables. Upon the disuse of
ardent spirits we have substituted coffee twice
day. Ii is most refreshing TO an exhausted
man. Rice is the best vegetable, and to induce
them to eat il, il should be cooked various
ways and with various coDdiments-lwem must
t1suaIl ciye II fo them az desserf.l Its some.
what constpating qualify guards against diar
rhea. They shnuld not have too much fresh
meat or yege tables for the same reason that q
horse at period of unusual exertion should
not have grass or green corn. Supper, Of
bread and molasses. or something of The sort,
should be given ia ihe field when they quit
york. From dark to daylight at that season
is only eight hours and . laborer requiTes the
whole for sleep and should mol be required TO
seek his supper after begets home. Frequent
ly, harvest is season OF excitement With
Them. QegFoes will sif nm nj their sf1orts or