The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-09-13
Harvesting Wheat In Kansas.

When the grain Is cut the Kansas
Farmers show great differences in the
handling Of the crop. Some stack the
wheat, allowing it to thoroughly sweat
in the stack before threshing. Many
others, equally we'll informed, allow
the grain to stand In the stack uutil
perfectly dry, and then thresh from the
shock. Still others thresh from the
heads If the weather be favorable. The
millers prefer grain that has been
sweated in the straw, claiming that the
wheat has got to go through this pro-
cess either In the straw, in the bin or
in the Hour; and they prefer to have
it sweat before they grind it. The
word Sweat is used to denote n pecul-
lar process. The straw on the stack
becomes daml', and the wheat that was
"off color" or bleaChed before stack
ing, has its color restored. Shrivelcd
wheat becomes plumper. In about
four weeks after 8 stacking, the wheat is
through the "sweat," and Is ready for
threshing. Ifit swcats in the bin, the
grain feels damp, and In untavorablc
weather heats. a job of thrcshing III
tho summer is dreaded by all men; but
the work has to be done. The cheap
est way to do it is with a separator,
driven by ten or twelve horses. These
machines will thres and clean from 400
to 800 bushels Of wheat per day. The
horses march around in circle. The
driver standing on top of the power
with n long whipin his hand, keeps up
a constant yelling at the teams. The
circle the horses march Oh becomes
hard and eusty. The dust rises In vast
clouds, and is swept by the strong
winds, that blow constantly in Kansas,
to the machine and stacks. The feed
ers, two In number, alternate In feed
ing the unthrcshcd straw into the sep
aratOr. The man who is Off work, oils
the machine and keeps 1T in running
order. The other, standing OH a plat
form in front Of the cylinder, grasps a
bundle. and with det movement
shakes it up and starts it into the iron
toothed cylinder. a steady stream of
unthreshcd straw is kept going into the
machine. At the other end Of the sep
arator a loose mass Of chopped straw is
climbing up the straw carrier, to be
dropped OH the straw stack. Men
pitch the bundles to the machine. They
arc warm. The air Is dense with dust.
The heat of the sun is terrific. Rap
idly the men become black with dust.
They speak only to demand water.
They work silently, steadily, until the
machine stops for some trifling repairs.
Then they throw themselves down to
rest, but in an instant the voice of the
driver Is heard, Get up get upn' The
horses strain, the cylinder turns, huns
softly rs it gets speed, then roars loud
ly rs it catches the full motion. Again
the air Is thick with dust: again the
straw is being rapidly fed into the
hungry ironclad mouth Of the scpa-
rator. A man Is seen to staggcr.
Dropping his fork he clasps his head
with his hands and falls--mcllcd with
the heat. lie is Instantly graspcd and
carried to the shade; his head is cooled
off, his shirt opened, and tho work is
resumed. AS night comes OH the men
are tired out. Their skins arc on fire,
so drcadfully have they been irritatcd
by tho dust and chaif of the grain.
Their eyes are bloodshot; they arc hum
cry. Soon after supper they all go to
sieep-somc in the barn; others on the
floor of the house; still others, careless
ofany comfort, rs they smoke out their
pipes lie down on the ground and slcap
there.