Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-07-29
A gricultura1.
When TO Harvest Grain.

GRAZ stdSes ol gToNtH belOTe Tue grain
taius perfect maturity. There is the peri,
of bloom, the period when the gram is
the milk stage Of growth. the dough stat
the mature stage of growth, and the dei
ripe condition. If cereal grain of ar
sort be examined when in the milk stat
it will be seen that the kernels are larg,
than they will be at any other perio,
The bran-envelope of every kernel is di
tended like a puff-ball, with thick, whit
liquid. If the crop were harvested at tina
period, the kernels would shrink to abou
o1e.fourth their uniform size. After fe,
days, the contents of the kernels pass int
a state of soft dough, then TO hard dough
aud soon every kernel becomes fully ma
tured, although the contents are not We
hard. This is the period to thrust 10 III,
cradle, or TO start the horse reaper. Har
vested at this stage of development, thu
yield of grain will be larger, the kernel
will be heavier, the bran will be thinner
the percentage of -four will be greater and
whittier, and bushcl, by measure. will
weigh more than if the crop were harvest.
ed at any other period. These suggestions
will be found to hold correct in regard to
every kind of cereal grain. Besides this,
if crop be harvested at the period desig'
mated, the straw--if properly cured--wilI
make larger quantity of excellent fod-
der.
The old rule with many farmers in
Judging of the proper period to harvest
wheat, used to be, when the straw for a
few inches above the ground. appeared
ripe and of an orange color. But this will
be found an incorrect guide with most vari-
cites of wheat. In many varieties, this
sign will be found entirely wanting. Some
farmers wait until most of the ears of
wheat, rye and barley, bend downward
with graceful bow. But, in many in.
stances the ears of wheat maintain an
erect position, even until every kernel has
passed the dead.ripe state. Again fields
of wheat are frequently met with, where a
large portion of the ears are hanging
downward, even when the grain is in the
milk stage Of development
The color of the straw is always the
most reliable guide with many producers
of wheat. Bat this indication of the ma
turity of the grain will always vary in
proportion as the soil, locality and variety
differ. Wheat produced on certain mix
lures of soil, when one views the crop
from a short distance, will often appear
quite too green to be harvested, even
when the ears are all erect and every kerr
uel has passed the dough stage aud ap-
pears quito hard.
The correct way to determine when the
proper period has arrived to harves. grain
Is. to walk among the standing straw,
pluck one ear here and another there,
examine the kernels, throughout the en-.
tire field, and if the grain of many of the
small ears is yet in the milk stage, while
larger proportion of the heads, Or panicles,
indicate point between the dough stage
and perfect maturity of the grain, the crop
should be harvested without delay.
The management of the crop after il is
out, will have an important influence On
the quality of the grain and the straw.
GRABBING AND BINDING GRAIN.
Although a large portion of grain NAV
be cut with horse reaper. a farmer i
should understand how to handle n Drain
cradle with efficiency and skill, as there
VIII be standing grain near trees, at the
sides OF large stumps and around the
held near fences, which cannot be reached G
with a horse reaper. The scythe and fin.
gers OF the cradle should not hang ont. O
ward too far. especially if the grain is tail s
md heavy. Neither should the cut,ino a
Edge of the blade stand too low, lest the
strength of the GRADER fail before his davis t
work IS completed. The cutting edge o, .
ne scythe should always stand on range
WIN point midway between tho nib or !
hole ard that point of the swath which is 7
'rasped by the left hand of the GRADER 9
Then, IT the scythe is a good one and the 4
hitting edge is kept 10 proper order, a era. s
TIC can travel through heavy grain with i
comparative ease. Let the ends of the +
'gers be adjusted with precision, so that A
hey will neither pull down the standing Y
traw' nor fail to gather all that the scythe I
ufs on. An expert Grader will rarely |
'rop one straw per lineal rod, when the A
'raiu is not lodged.
The way to cradle easily and at the 81
anne time cut swath eight or nire feet y
''oad' 's to step up within few inches Of a
ne standing grain, stand as nearly erect a
IS may be, until the cradle has been a
nrust INTO the grain. Keep the heel and a