The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-07-24
:farm-Garnen-Nouse
Variation IN the Weight Of Grain-
Time Of Cutting Wheat.

Time Of Cutting Vhent.
The weight of grain per bushel varies consid.
erably in different soils and In different varieties
of the same plant. Late crops seldom produce
as heavy grain early ones, for when the seed
is sown late the plants have not so much time
afforded for collecting the ingredients necessary
to make telegram full and:weighty,:as when it is
sown early, and has the full benefit of the spring
and summer for the plants to develop themselves
and extract the necessary ingredients from the
soil and the atmosphere. The difference in the
weight of grain arises from various causes, such
as early or late sowing; condition of the soil
composition of the soil time of reaping, etc.
When grain is cut before it is ripe it shrinks and
does not weigh heavy when dry as that which
Is permitted to come to maturity before it is
reaped.
On the subject of the proper time to cut grain
crops, some important experiments have recently
been made in France by NJ. Isodore Pierre, Pro-
lessor of Chemistry, at Caen. The result of his
Investigations 20 to show that the system of cut.
ting grain very early, which is strongly recon-
mended by agricultural writer's, is not based up.
on correct principles. He cut, from the same
field, q certain quantity of oats, ON the 9th, 18th,
18th, and 25th Of July, each time operating on
equal surfaces of ground. The grain reaped on
the 9th was in rapid state of increase, while
that gathered on the 25th was perfectly ripe
The result that when dry the first lot was to the
last a. Is to o. the other lots being intermediate
between these. Hence for every day wheat is
reaped earlier than the full period of maturity,
there is a serious loss.
Chemically considered the grain that has not
arrived at full maturity, contains less nitrogen
and phosphoric acid than when ripe. The con.
clusion at which nj. Pierre arrives, is that it, as
Is indeed the case, certain loss is experienced
by the falling out of the grain from the ears in
wheat that is too ripe, this is amply compensated
by An increase of weight and of nutritious mat.
ter. The experiments of NJ. Pierre are instruc-
tive, but it is probable that the most profitable
period for cutting lay between the Goth and 18th
of July. II Is reasonable to suppose that wheat
cut on the 22d or 23d would not lose much by
shrinkage nor by Smelling. Sometimes one OF
two days make a very material difference in the
condition of cereal crop.
The weight of grain per bushel varies very
much, being Influenced by the causes above dc.
scribsd. The following table is intended to
show the relative weights of grain as we'll az the
range or variations of weight of each kind.
Wheat ranges from 50 Tbs 70 65 Tbs per bushel.
Rye ranges from -. so TBS to So TBS per bushel.
Barley ranges from. As Tbs to 81 lbs per bushel.
Oats range from -. 90 Tbs to A Tbs per bushel
Peas range from :. D.. 10 lbs TO 50 TBS per bushel
Red clover ranges from 60 lbs to II TBS per bushel
Rape ranges from .. As lbs to 81 ID. per bushel.
Professor johnson in his Lectures on Agri.
cultural Chemistry" states that from three equal
patches of the same field of wheat in Yorkshire
England. cut twenty days before ripeness and
when fully ripe, the produce was in grain -
follows:
~ days before ripe -: 49,. go. 1853 pounds
~ days before ripe ....... 220 pounds.
Fully ripe. ............20 200 pounds.
Kit ia probable that the excess in weight Of the
second lot over the third, consisted Of water
which was evaporated in the process of ripenin <.