The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-06-26
Agricultural.
When to Cut Grain-Relative Value
of Hay and Straw.

DakS-bHops bndI INC DSSO OAAAO W Ou0
grain when the straws begins to turn
yellow.
1t is established that when the stalk
begins to turn yellow, the plant receives
no more sap from the earth, and that
the formation of the flow is finished
in the grain by the action alone of the
air and the heat.
cit has been equally well proved
that tho grain in process of rpening
becomes more full, sheltered from the
heats of the sun, in the interior of a
shock for instance, than stretched in
the swath because in the latter case
the heat dries the grain to excess,
diminishing at the same time its quail
ity, its weight and its volume.
"The most rational system therefore
for harvesting grain is,
al To cut the straw at the mo-
ment it begins to grow yellow.
go. To put the swath Immediately
into sheaves, which should be gathered
into pyramid-like groups called shocks,
with out delay.
each shock is formed by five or six
sheaves placed standing little inclined,
and in a round form, to give solidity to
the structure. The ears gathered into
a center are then capped with areversed
sheaf, unless they can be covered, as we
have seen it done in Auvergne, with
small cowls or hoods of straw, prepared
beforehand for that purpose, practice
which notably facilitates the work.
The ears thus sheltered from the ex-
cessive heat, the rain and the dew,
ripen slowly and furnish large grains,
smooth and of good quality. An other
advantage of this method is that the
grain is secured; the farmer is not
hurried to remove it /; he can leave it in
the shock without inconvenience until
after.the labors of the harvest.
"This is an important point at pc
Rod when, for want of force, there are
always loos in waiting, even among the
best directed transactions. ~ Gazette
DIES CaDlpagnes.
REMARKS BY TRANSLATOR.
The practice suggested in the latter
part of the above remarks is one which
has been long followed in our section,
it is not usual to cut as soon as recon-
mended in the beginning "Cut rs
soon as the grain is out of the milk and
in the dough" is the rule most fire.
quently uttered here, and the grain
will be in the milk sometime after the
straw has began to grow yellow at the
bottom. 1t is desirable TO know the
earliest possible moment at which grain
can be safely cut, but few farmers are
provided with the necessary apparatus,
and few farmers have the necessary
time to test the matter. It would be
necessary to cut the grain at different
stages of the ripening process, and
compare them, by weight, appearance
and analysis, with one another. We
are aware that experiments have de-
monstrated the advantages of very
early cutting, to both the farmer and
the miller, the early cut grain making
more and better flour than the ripe
grain, but we are not aware that 1t is
safe to cut as soon as the straw turns
yellow, although if this can safely be
done it will prove of immense advan.
tage to all concerned in the growth Of
cereals, and who is not?
The farmer will be enabled to be6ir
his harvest earlier, without the los!
which now follows, particularly il
large hqrvests, from the over-ripenins
and shattering out of grain.
In our present wheat field the ranl
growth of the oats from the shattere,
grains threatened in some places t.
outgrow and smother the wheat, al
though the field was narrowed hal
, dozen times, rolled and drilled. w
delayed harvesting the oats, fearful c
! cutting too soon, and before the wor
was done, some of the oats was far to
ripe, the whole field was pretty we
, seeded anew, and taking strong hold
, the good ground, they went to
deep for harrow tooth to remoy
them. Wheat fields have sometime
been ruined by the obtruding oats.
Again, the straw is becoming MOI
n and more valuable as our system I
$ farming advances from the primitive
T the more careful stage, and the Garlic
o the straw is cut the more nutrition
q affords. Formerly the straw was set c
q FIRE, or allowed 20 rot down uncare
r for, while the farmer titled the field |
a ploughing around what he no doul
n considered a troublesome obstruction
10 but VIC have changed all that, and Il
d seasons, by cutting OFF our hay crop
lie have assisted us in the change. Let ,
e, glance here at the relative value
v straw and clover and timothy hay f
lr feed. as determined by analysis
m Timothy hay contains in every o.
,e hundred pounds, II of water-the h
I droscopio water Of vegetation is allud
D. to-25 Of crude fibre, about 81 poun
il of matter which is not nutritious.
at Glover hay contains in every one hu
"a dred pounds, 16 OF water, 50 of cru
n. fibre. wood, 81 pounds of non-nut
Id tious matter.
,s- Wheat straw in every one hundr
ed pounds has II of water, IS Of fibre, a
az 60 pounds of non-nutritous matter ; I
of clover hay contains IL less, and tin
in thy hay % pounds less of non-nut
n, tious matter to the 100 pounds than
ia wheat straw. Dat straw contains
Ike pounds of water, 40 of fibre in every
ok pounds-50 of nominations matt'
Oh eight pounds less than wheat straw.
Zip The above table is a statement Of
Fly relative proportions of the waste ma
os- rails, laying aside their value as I
he ohnnicai agents in the animal ecenom
Id we give now table of the relat
en-, value of feed of the articles named :
But In each one hundred pounds tn
ak, are in timothy hay 10 pounds of al
.ial minoids or heterogeneous matter, "a C
IF, ponent of the muscular tissues, tend
Of and nerves. 4 of carbohydrates, Cwh