Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-10-01
AGRICULTURE.

HARVESTING BUCKwHEAT. - Buck
wheat, being easily grown. succeeding
on poorly prepared soil, giving quick
return, and generally yielding re-
munerative harvest, is fdvorite crop
with inexperienced farmers Stlll, IL
requires peculiar treatment in the har-
vesting, and those who are not acquaih-
ted with it are apt to make MISTAKES
IT requires cutting before 1t Is 1ully
ma,ured; and its habit of throwing out
blossoms at the top until killed Dy lrost
is apt to mislead. When frost Is expec-
ted the crop should be cut, ana many
Immature grains will become perfect
in the few days during which 1t is dry
ing in the field. Wherever the lower
branches are well loaded with ripe
grains, it may be cut. This should be
done with the cradle, and while tue
stalks are damp with dew or moist after
"A shower. The grains are loosely at
cached TO their stalks, and are easily
shaken of in the cutting or raklng, un-
less these are. carefully done. Alter
the swaths have lain for few days Tor
the grains TO ripen, the ouckwheat Is
raked up into punches, and these are
set up in gayels OF loose stacks, without
being bound, the tops being gathered
together as much as possible. In this
condition the crop remains until lt Is
thrashed. As it heats very rapidly, 1t
should never be put into stack, nor
slowed away in barn, as has been
sometimes done by inexperienced lar
mers. When the buckwneat Is sufli-
iently cured and dry, and the unrlpe
grains have matnred, it may be thrash
ed by treading out with horses, with
The ilaIl, or the threshing machine.
Ii is frequently threshed in the field by
making Il bed of cleanly-swept ground,
and beating the swept surface rs hard
rs possible with rammer made of
plank. The gavels are placed in cir
Gle upon the bed thus prepared, the
heads toward the center, and TO depth
of two feet. a pair of horses are rid
den around over the bed until the straw
is freed from the grain; when it is re-
moved and a new bel is laid down.
When the whole has been thus tram
pied out the straw is raked of, the fam
nins-mill is brought out, and the grain
cleaned up at once. when the grain
has been cleaned, it cannot be safely
put away until it has been well dried,
or it will heat and spoil. lt should be
spread upon dry floor i'll an airy shed
or barn, and turned over repeatedly
until it is dry, and then it may be stor-
ed in bins or in the granary. \ dry,
breezy day should be chosen for the
th-ashing. IL the thrashing machine Is
used. the concave should be removed,
aud piece Of smooth plank put in its
place, else much of the grain will be
broken and lost. If the straw Is at all
damp, il should be fed iGto the machine
slowly, otherwise il is art 10 wind
around the cylinder and give trouble.
The grain should be cleaned from the
chaif soon after threshing, As there is
much danger of heating and moulding
By which the quality and yield of the
hour will be greatly lessened. The
first buckwheat -four in the maj ket
brings the best price, and it is not un-
usual for the price 10 fall one half in a
few DAYS, after the first demand for
new flour has been met. Ii is 4 crop TO
dispose of as soon As possible, at least
as regards that portion intended for
sale. " hen taken TO the mill for grind
ing, 4 dry, windy day should be chosen,
and the best quality of flour can be
made only in such weather; indeed,
few nillers will grind this grain, un-
less Obliged TO do 50, in any other wealth
er but that described.