Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-08-05
Sm tEt farmer,
SHOCKING GRAIN.

The wheat harvest is near al hand /;
and any thing that will enable farmers TO
save their grain in good condition, will,
we think, be acceptable TO your readers.
You are aware that many thousands of
bushels of wheat are totally ruined in The
States during such harves;s as that Of
ls65. by ~Prouiing.
Such wheat is absolutely fit for moth
Ing but swine, and poor feed for them
We well remember The we. harvesls o!
ls4s. BY referring 10 my Journal, the
following note is found: "Bountiful show
ers nearly every day, wheat ~sprouting
badly throughout the neiehborkood."-
Poor bread was the rule that year; good
bread the exception. The proper shock.
ing of wheat We consider a remedy, in q
great measure, for the evil. And here
let Us say, We dissent in toto from an ar
ticle that went The rounds of the press
after the wet harvest Of Is55. Ii was 10
this effect: Make miniature stalks, which
may Ihfesh from seven 10 ten bushels
each, instead of the usual dozens. We
have invariably found The largerihe shock
and sAeares which formed it, the greater
the damage an inference dictated by
reason.
We will describe a systematic method
which We have practised for many years,
and knoaC that it operates WE'LL
/. Grain should be firmly bound in
smaller sheaves :han ii is almost univer-
sally found. Loosely bound sheayos can
not be well shocked. They also admit
mcre rain than tightly bound ones.
,. Two men can slick better and more
advantageou,ly than one.
3. Lit the shocker always take two
.sheaves at a lime, no ding them with his
elbow against his side, bringing the heads
together with hands well spread uron
them. Lift them as high as possible,
bringing them with force, in as nearly a
perpendicular position as can be, to the
ground. Never make the second Mrust
If The sheavcs stand erect, for every one
afierihe first, by breaking The butts, makes
The matter worse.
4 Let two persons bring down tVo
sheares each at a time, as described above;
being extremely careful to keep + : =
them perpendicular. The form + x =
of the shock ct this period, may be repre-
scented thus:
IS. As lastly stated, t@o more each,
thus:
The reader will perceive We 4 =
have ten sheaves forming =
a circle as nearly as a be.
6. While one man presses the head Of
the shock firmly together, let the other
break, not bend, the ia0o cap sheaves, and
place them on, we.l-sprcading heads and !
The maia points are, to have grain reH
sheave, 10 be stood in an erect posi-
and then put cap sheaves on firmly.
and every gust IF wind will not demolish
ynur work.
Grain is usually shocked in his man.
ncr: One sheaf is stood alone, another is
against ii, and another, sometimes
ii an angle Of fory-fve degrees, $50 make
hem stand up" until a sufficient number
5 thought TO be leaned up.
Now the probability is, tha; there is bu;
me sheaf in tie whole shock that has its
centre ofgTaviiy within It's base; as a mat
er Of course, each depends oil some ether
o bold it up. Consequently they twist,
lad if they DO not fall down before the
lands get The next one up, most certainly
10 duIing the first rain, just when their
perpendicular position is most necessary.
Ohio Farmer.