Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-08-14
At what Period of M turity
should Wheat be CutY


this country, but more particularly !
England, TO determine at what period q
maturity wheat should be cut in order {
obtain the largest quantity Of grain, an
of the best quality. The result of a
these tests that have come under our oil
servation, have led to the conclusion tina
when cut before the grain becomes hard
or while it is still in what is termed tn
doughty state, not only yields the creates
weight of grain, but that the quality o
-four made from it is whittier and bette
than that made from wheat that is per
miited to stand until the grain become
dry. Leaving out of view the quality o
the flour, it may be questioned by SOM
whether the grain that is cut at perioC
while it is soft, is of itself, really heavier
than it would have been had it been per
mlted TO stand longer, or whether the loss
in weight that has always been detected
in these experiments in grain that is per
mitted to stand until it becomes dry in the
head, is not owing to the actual loss o.
tie grain occasioned by the various pro
cesses of handling. Upon this point we
have never seen the opinion directly ex-
pressed. 1t is probable, however, that
grain that is cut after, and during exces-
sive dry, hot weather, does extract less
weight from the rapidly drying straw
than t would if cut and bound in which
condition it would be less exposed TO all
the drying influences of The weather.
that the process of maturing is prolonged,
and greater weight Of grain derived
from the straw when cut and bound, than
would have been obtained had the grain
been allowed to stand exposed 10 the dry
ing heat in the field.
We could quote the figures that have
accompanied the various reports on the
trials 70 test this question, but as the ex,
periments have been so frequently made,
and with such uniform results, we deem
il sufficient at this time to state the sim
pie facts.
A very careful series of experiments
were made of this character, some years
since, in Yorkshire, England, by Mr..
John Hannah, ana be sums up the loss
by Smelling, and in the roeight and quail
tty of the grain, from letting il stand un-
til fully ripe, equal to Sc per acre, a sum
or even half of it, which should not be
lost sight Of by the farmer.
Since the introduction Of reaping ma
chimes, the wheat upon an ordinary sized
farm may be cut within reasonable time,
and more generally at the period desired,
which was not always the case when the
reaping hook and the cradle we're the i'm
plements depended on.
Upon the great western praires where
hundreds of acres of wheat are grown,
upon single farm, with limited amount
of labor at command, new process OF
harvesting has within few years been
adopted. TIE grain is cut by what is
termed " Heading machines" There are
several kinds of these in operations, bat
all upon the same general principle. In
cutting they leave the most of the straw
upon the field. A wagon attends the
cutter, into which the grain is delivered
by the operation of an endless apron at
tached to the machine. The grain is i'm
mediately stacked from the wagon
With this process of harvesting, which
economy of labor seems to render neces-
sary, the grain of course must be so fully
ripe as to prevent any injury arising from
fermentation in the stack, but it must ne
cessarly be attended with very serious
loss, owing to the fully ripened condition
of the grain. This fact, when labor be-
comes more abundant, may lead to the
universal adoption of the ordinary reap
ing machine.
OATs.--This grain is more liable to Sc
rious loss in harvesting than wheat, and
too many OF our farmers commit the err
ror of letting the crop become too ripe.
Besides the loss of grain sustained in the
process Of harvesting, the quality OF the
straw for feeding to stock, whether cut upI
with the grain, or after it has been thresh-
ed, is greatly impaired.
1t is true, that oats when cut before
fully ripe, require more care in curing, as
well as more time than wheat. Dat straw
makes an excellent feed for stock, and it
is worthy the attention of every farmer
to see that it is cured not only in the
best time, but in the best manner OIL
tiUatOr.
CHESTER WHITE PIGs.-Bela Dun.
bar of North Chilli, writes to the Gene