Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1872-05-01
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
MODE OF HARVESTING WHEAT IN CAL.
IFOKNIA.

Wheat is sometimes cut down with a
reaper and bound into sheaves but more
generally it is headed. The latter pro-
cess is the cheapest one, but can not be
followed when the crop is extremely
heavy and lying on the ground. In
heading, the machine cuts the crop and
nasse. il into wa .on 1t is then hauled
off to a convenient position. and piled
I'D unbound in heap, where it awaits
the arrival of the thresher Whether
reaped or iea,led, it is unnecessary TO go
10 any exp":ise in protecting it from the
weather. If The farmer means to sell 1t
soon after being threshed. he has no need
to haul it to his granery. Afer the
threshing il over, immense piles Of sacks
can be seen lying for months in the open
field. They are perfectly rafe; they
are never stolen and never injured by the
weather. Accompanying the header there
are usually FIVE nsn, three wagons, and
twelve horses. The men and horEes are
hired by tl.- owner Of the header, but
boarded by the owner of the wheat. A
good header will cut about eighteen acres
daily for which a price, varying from
81 so to 50 per acre. is paid. The far
mer must also keep man to stack the
wheat costing So more daily. Assuming
tie price paid TO the owner of the header
10 be 81 Is per acre, bis whole outlay
would be $50 80 or $500 per acre. Out
Of this $50 80, the owner of the header
receives S3l 80. His expenses are; one
man to attend the header, s4 per day
four mort men at 81 so each per day,
and twelve horses at % cents each, if he
las to hire thom-m making, in all, SIS,
and leaving a daily profit of $3.50
These figures also apply to r.ch land that
yields twenty or twenty five sacks to the
acne. Most Of the wheat is now threshed
by steam A steam machine will aver
age about eight hundred sacks of one
Hundred pounds each daily. The price
paid to Tie owner of the machine may be
set down at eight cents per sack. With
the machine are four men and six horses
which are to be fed by the farmer. Be
sides these, there will be fifteen more
men required. and these the farmer must
feed and pay AS the work is hard, en-
ployment at this season easily obtained
they received So per day and board.
Wood for the engine costs the farmer Sc
per day, making in all slll so, or about
ii cents per sack. After deducting his
expenses, the owner of the thrasher will
clear about $40 per day. His machinery
costs about 50 500 ; but, as he gets about
sixty days work during the threshing
season, the machine nearly pays for itself
in one year. 1t will be seen from these
figures that the farmer can get his crops
harvested at a small expense; and at the
same time, if be has money to invest in
machinery. he can obtain good interest
on his ourlay.-From "ITayes and Ad-
ron'ages Of California" IN the OVER
LAND MONTHLY for april.
GARDEN WALKs.-As many persons
lave at this time large heaps of coal
ashes, they can dispose of them in no
way to better advantage than by haul,
ing them into their garden alleys, Re-
move from four 10 six inches Of dirt, and,
having screened the ashes, or separated
the core and ci..Gers, first apply the
coarse stuff, then oyster shells. if you
have any on hand, small stones, glass or
pieces of bricks and top dress with the
ashes. Roll it, and you will have one
at the best walks ever seen in garden.
The ashes become very hard, and are
never wet, winter or summer, if the wea
ther gives the water the least chance to
get away. In summer, in five minutes
after shower there will be scarcely
enough moisture to dampen TIE soles of
your shoes.