Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-07-23
Harvesting--Shock ing--Stacking.


Nowadays there arc so many really
good reapers in the market that but
little difficulty is experience in cut
ting grain. This season, however,
the heavy rains in some parts Of the
West have seriously interfered with
the use of machines from the ground
being SO soft as to make it miry. 1t
is to be hoped that as the harvest adj
vances that the weather will be favor
able; for the farmers have need for
all the money they will get for their
grain. In untoward weather does
continue, much may be gained by
cutting the more solid parts Of the
field while the other portions are dry
ing off.
AS rule western men are careless
in shocking; the usually fine weather
during the harvest season, leaving but
little to be feared from rain forming
the season. In catching weather
more grain is lost from injury in the
shock than from any other one cause.
If care is taken to shock carefully and
firmly-the cap sheaves should form
an ample protection against ordinary
wet weather, although sometimes long
continued storms will cause the inside
of the shocks to take water.
So in stacking, if the weather is
bad much trouble is occasioned.-
Never stack unless the straw is dry.
Better that it injurc in the shock than
spoil in the stack. If any fear is an
ticipatod, better leave all damp bun
dies out to be dried before putting
into the stack. So when stacking
when the dew is on, place all cap
sheaves, or other damp ones, near
the outside of the stack
There cannot be too much care
taken in any season in stacking. Our
plan is to build round stacks, setting
the sheavcs around a central one I'M
til the proper diameter is attained,
leaving plenty of room to lay out as
the stack proceeds, SO that when the
stack is finished it shall have the APP
pearance of an egg resting on the
larger end; the top drawn in, and
carried up to as sharp point as pos
sible, over which a cap sheaf of the
longest straw is to be firmly tied.
Keep the stack as you proceed from
the bottom to the top, well crowned
to the middle, and place each sheaf
firmly and compactly against its fell
low, else as the stack settles the
sheaves will point down to the centre
and let water i'll instead of carrying
1t off as it should. From the point
where the stack is to be drawn in, as
it decreases in size keep the middle
full; and the faster the stack is drawn
in the fuller must the middle be kept
relatively.
If the middle Of the stack from
any cause become too low, commence
at the centre and lay out to near the
outside, and then work as before, for
if the sheaves near the outside do not
slant at a considerable angle from the
horizontal they will fail properly to
carry off the water This must be
especially attended to as the stack is
drawn in, and thereafter until it is
finished,
To finish stack, stand in the cen
tire aud place the bundles with care,
and when you have the stack to as
sharp peak as possible, force slen-
der, smooth, sharply pointed stake as
far into the stack as possible, leaving
only eight or ten inches projecting;
place the cap-sheaf upon this, butt up,
the heads projecting evenly down
over the stack. Then tie the butt
over the top of the stake, and the
stack should be secure.
Select a level, compact place for
the stack yard, and one we'll drained.
Place the stacks in line, and far
enough apart SO the drips will not
reach another, and the lanes wide
enough so that the threshing ma
chine may work. Once stacked, the
grain must remain intact from a
month to six weeks before being
threshcd, to undergo and finish the
sweat that always takes place after
stacking Western Farm Journal.