The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-08-04
When should Crops be eathered'

Some science and practical hints, which every arm
er should understand and practice upon.
The prevailing opinion is, that grass, and
especially grain crops, should mol oe cut uii
ripe or whatever may be the opinion. such
is the general practice This Is an error,
and one OF no liule consequence; and we
offer some considerations, which, il under.
stood, will, we tusI, sci this matter III a
clear light. Let Us first look al one or two
lessons plainly told Us by chemistry.
Wood, starch, sugar aud gum ave almost
exactly alike in their composition. The
same elements that pu, together in one
form produce sugar, il arranged differently
would make wool, and if arranged M still
other methods, they would produce starch
0r gum To illustrate suppose four men
should each have 100000 bricks, 10000
feet Of lumber, incudin. beams, boards,
shi"gles, &c, three hundred pounds OF
nails, aud aud one hundred pounds OF un-
mixed paints of two or three dilIrren, col
ors. Now srppose these four men, having
precisely the same amount of the different
materials or elements, sci about putting up
four structures, each having different 0b.
iecl in view. One might construct an ele-
gan, cottage dwelling, the second church,
the third barn, and The fourth u p;ison ;
and by mixing and applying the paints dill.
ferenlly. each Of these structures would dif.
fer from the other so much in form and
colol, that one mi2hi be supposed to be
built Of stone, another OF brick, third 0i
iron, and a fourth OF wood, aud they would
be as like in iolm, color, and outward
appearance, as starch, gum, sugar and
wood. Either Of these buildings might be
taken down, aud by simply re-arrmging
the materials, be changed 10 the form,
shape, and color of one OF The other build
ings, aud be made like II in every parlicu-
lar. Just so can pound OF wood be
changed TO a pound OF sugar. We have
oilen taken bOart weighing pound, aud
by chemical process re.arrauged the ele.
men;s, and changed the same board 10 a
pound Of sugar. Just so pound OF starch,
sum o sugar, can be changed 10 pound
Of wood. By artificial means this change
is somewha expensive, but in the natural
laboratory Of The cells an1 tubes OF plant
i, is daily going on upon a large scale, al
though the elements aie in themselves SO
small, that the change is no, percep,ible TO
the human vision.
We are not stating theories, but absolute
facts. While stock OF grain is unripe, il
contains but litlle woody fibre, and lis pores
or cells are filled with sugar, starch and
gum. The presence OF sugar is readily
perceived by the sweet taste OF soh kernels
oi corn and other grains, aud it is also found
abundanlly in the sap Of stalks. The starch
and gum is not so readily perceived by the
.asle, though they are easily shown 10 be
present. Now rs the grain aud stalks rip
eu a large portion Of starch, gum and sugar
is changed into woody tibres. IL the nat.
ural growth of the plant be arrested by
cutting il, this change is stopped, and II
dries up, with the starch, gun and sugar,
and there is comparatively Little hard woody
matter.
But we all knew tba, the three substances
first named are digeslible, nouIishing ar,.
cles OF food, while the fourth - woody fl.
bres - is comparatively indigesible, aud on
this account liIle nouri,hing. Here, then,
is plain reason why all such grasses and
grains, as are designed for food for animals,
should be gathered before they are fully
ripe, that is, while they contain large
amount Of d;geslible matter. Wheat, for
example, if cut eight or ten days before
fully ripe, contains large proportion OF
siarch, with thin skin, and will yield a
la-ge amOun, OF flour; but when il is fully
ripe il is covered with u thick, hard, woody
sSln, or ban, which has been formed out
Ji part of ils starch, aud it will then yield
a smaller proportion oi flour. The same
may be said OF its sugar and gum. This
reasoning applies equally 10 other grains as
well a. TO straw, coTn-sialks. grasses, &c.
Those portions oi the grain which are 10
be- used Tor re- producing the plant - aud
this is the natural desigr Of all seeds -
may he lel, TO npen naturally. The woody
coating is designed rs protecting cover
linz.
Having thus endeavored to stale very
briefly some of the reasons for cutting gram
edrly - and il must be Interesting 10 every
one 10 understand these reasons - we will
close this article with Two or three rules
whish are NO, only sustained ny theory, bu,
have been fully proved by careful practice
and experiment
LIST. Al era ses should be cut as soon as
possible after Towering. Much more than
ls gained ia weight alter this Is lost by tho
conversion Of the nourishng substance in,C
hard, woody matter.
2d. Corr, wheat and all other grains
designed for food, should be gathered eight
or twelve days before fully ripe. a simple
method Of determining this, is 10 Try The
kernels with the thumb nail. lie, the gath
etinc commence Immediately after the
milk " begins TO harden, but while the
kerel still yields TO gentle pressure OF The
nail.
An acre OF wheat, that, IL Gu, wheE fully
ripe, would yield 500 lbs. Of fine flour. will
If Gu, ten days earlier yield from $50 Il
1000 lbs. OF flour Of better quality, while
the slaaw will be much more valuable fol
feeding. fE..
An acre OF grass, which, when cut fully
ripe, would yield 1000 lbs. nourishing di
ges,ible materials, and 1000 lbs. Of woody
matter, will, il cut IL days earlier, yielt
from 1900 10 1900 lbs. Of nou,ishirg maj,
ter, aud only 1900 TO 1900 lbs. Of woody
ma,erials.-Ameriean Agrieultmis,.
Enormous BuScH or GRAPES. At IN,
horticultural exhibition in this city, 92,