Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-08-21
Harvesting, Shocking and Stacking

returns, ana tnlS Tor the simple reason |
that their selling prices in our principal |.
markets are such as to warrant their trans
portation to mparatively long distances
Rye and oats are next in Importance, but |
rye is not generally raised in the West, and |
oats do not generally bear price sufficient
to warrant long shipment. Much grain
| is lost annually by bad shocking, and |
since there is every reason to believe that
there may be much rain during the pres
ent harvest, a few hints on this matter
may not be out of place
Nowadays there are so many really
good reapers in the hands of the farmers,
that the binding of grain is very much
simplified, the gavels being laid at regu-
lar intervals, out of the way Of the reaper,
and with the butts reasonably square for
binding. All that is necessary to be done
is for the binders to form the band, tie,
and the grain is ready for shocking. This
labor may be facilitated, if the binders
will toss the grain into convenient piles,
from which they are quickly carried to
the places for shocking.
In setting the sheaves together it is
quite common to see the bundles of rye,
barley and oats simply leaned against
each other in long lines, and without COW
ering from rain, and in too many cases
the grain is often injured to a greater or
less extent thereby This should never be
done except perhaps in the case of rye
which does not readily absorb moisture
$ and the length of the straw of which
makes it somewhat difficult to be placed
! !. shocks for covering. Nevertheless, we
alwa.
rye, we should never bind, but should
o,,na ana' ~ ~ the gavels directly to the
h h.~aSs 'sh n as dry, for, if wet with rain
tha ~ Gr ai - thereby seriously injured;
indeed everv time the grain is wet with
bow after ~, 9 cut, it is more or less
discolored a. once wet, after hln.Eumg,
the Grain can a. nv 'onger be sold as first
class in the marksA oe.,,,-
There are various "ay d VI ~ nno ~ out
the one most in use, 't tt, ull thinss CON
sidered the best is to- 3 y . t"o snea'es up
right placing, against ' 1na 'Ho o'her
sheaves at two of the sia D. in"A.ns siA
sheaves compactly togetA -, oot s.f'
these, leaning slightly, the ba - So iiiilly
on the ground, put a sheaf az e az enu,
and one at each side Your 81 ocn no"
contains ten sheaves. Press the y oau u W
gether and it is ready for the caps. i aite
are made by selecting medium \ >i1 1ea
sheaves for the purpose. Break the t. 'ps
IA,
heads may spread, and, opening the butts,
set it on the shock so that the heads NAV
cover the sides, and the butt the end of
the shock. Bend another sheaf as before
directed, for the opposite end Of the
shock, tapping enough to partially cover
the first cap sheaf If this be carefully
done, the shock is safe from ordinary
harvest storms, although, sometimes, long
continued spells of wet weather will cause
the inside of the shocks to take water: but
this is the exception.
In stacking when the dew lies on the
Shocks it is well to place the cap sheaves
near the outside of the stack. Commence
the stack by setting up sheaves around a
central one. Continue this until the bot
tom is large enough, being careful that it
be not so large as to prevent the stack be-
ing properly laid out. When finished,
the stack should present a true egg shape,
the large end down A little observation
and practice will enable you to do this.
One course having been laid, commence
the next on the outside layer about even
with the outside butts; lay the next row
with the butts about six inches over the |
bands of the preceding layer, and so pro-
coed, circle within circle, until you get |
to the center. Keep the stack well crown
ed to the middle, else when the stack
comes to settle, the sheaves will point
downward to the center, and so let in
water Place each sheaf firmly and com
pactly next its neighbor, and when the
stack has reached a height of two or three
feet, according to the size of the stack,
commence laying out, placing each sue
ceeding outside course from two to four
inches over the edge until you reach the
proper height, when it may be carried up
To hn S,t ~ !
necessary to commence drawing in.
From the point where the stack is to be
drawn in decrease in size, keeping the
middle very full; and the sharper the top,
the fuller the middle requires to be kept
An important point to be observed is that
the sheaves be not all pitched to the stack
from one side, since this will cause the
stack to settle unevenly; and in passing
over the stack, if soft places be observed,
keep them filled to correspond with the
other portions of the stack; and in stack
ing do not walk further toward the out
side of the sheaves than is necessary, since
this is apt to cause the outer bundles to
slide If the middle of the stack from
any cause becomes low, commence at the
center and lay out to near the outside, and
then work as before directed, for if the
sheaves near the outside be not quite
Sldullu8, IHS SldCh " III III SStil1US, ltt Ill |
water, and this must be especially guarded
against as the top is drawn to an apex.
To finish the stack, stand in the center
and place the bundles so that the butts
will always be lowest, and when you have
the stack to as sharp peak as possible,
force a long, smooth, sharply pointed
stake down into the stack, leaving only
about eight or ten inches projecting,
which should be covered with large,
long sheaf, butt upward, with the heads
carefully spread over the stack and the
end of the butt of the sheaf tied tightly
over the stake. If these directions are
carefully followed, there is no reason why
the stack should not preserve its contents
intact, without matching or further care.
For your stack-yard select level, we'll
drained spot Arrange so that your stacks
may stand in parallel lines, convenient for
pitching from both sides and also for
threshing from. Place the stacks in line,
nearly enough together SO that the drip
from one may not touch the other. Have
the lanes between the stacks perfectly
straight. See that your grain is dry before
stacking, and when dry lose no time in Sc
curing it. The time for leaving it in the
shock will vary from one to two weeks
according to the ripeness of the grain and
the favorable or unfavOrable condition of
the weather. Once stacked, the grain
rO1,Ct remain intact from q month civ |