Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-08-03
When TO Cut Grain for soed.-.VVhen
for the Miller.

grain of wheat, when it is approaching
the stage of ripening, is filled with a semi
liquid substance made up of starch sugar and
water. As the ripening progresses, the water
is replaced by starch and the grain arrives at
the dough state, in which, when crushed be-
tween the finger and thumb, it appears moist
but not not wet. The germ or 'chit" now
begins to form, deriving its nitrogen from the
albumen of the plant. At the same time the
starch granues increase in number and the
husk becomes irmer. As the seed approach.
es still nearer to maturity, the germ increases
in size, gathering more albumen, and the
starch gradually fills the husk, which becomes
plump and firm. If it ID now crushed, it ap-
pears as a soft granular mass, quite free from
moisture the germ or embryo of the future
plant is plainly seen, but it is not yet matured.
The whole grain now contains 6 per cent.
OF gluten, which is mostly concentrated in the
germ and in one of the coats of the husk If
the wheat is cut now, it does not increase its
proportion of gluten, for the germ no longer
grows, but shrinks as it parts with some of it's
water, and the grain dries and hardens. But
the starch still increases in quantity while the
grain absorbs sap from the still living straw,
and does SO until the straw dies, when the
grain Immediately dries.
Now is the precise moment when the grain
is best fitted for the miler's use. 1t contains
the most starch, which is white and fine, and
the least gluten, which is dark and gummy.
and which it is the millers desire to get rid
of, that he may please his customers with
light fine flour that will rise in the process of
panihcation and produce white, spongy,
light sweet bread. But then this grain is
not mature and the germ is not fully develop
cd and 1t makes poor, weakly terminating
seed. Lucanus proved by numerous experi.
ments that immature seeds have a weak pow
er OF termination many fail to appear above
ground-dylng in birth, as it were-while
those that do appear produce weak plants and
poor harvest. This is corroborated by Mill
Ter and Hellriegel, both careful experimenters
IN this direction. Baron Lebig and Dr. Schu-
bert also make similar statements. But sure
~ the farmer knows this to be a fact, and if
any evidence Of it were wanting the trouble
experienced the present season from imma
ture seed-corn, and equally the past three
years from the same cause, might well estab-
fish the fact in the mind of the farmer who
has experienced this difficulty.
Thus it will not do to cut grain intended for
seed until it is fully ripe and the germ has &C.
CURED all the stores of nourishment requisite
for Its vigorous termination and growth into
healthy plant. The well-ripened grain may
not be so large and plump as that cut few
days earlier, but it will be heavier and denser
and OF greater specific gravity. This last
Characteristic we beg to be specially noted as
twill be referred to farther on. Prof Church
made some elaborate experiments 20 years ago
at the Royal agricultural college at Cirences-
ter, Eng, and summed up his results as fol.
lows Seed wheat of the greatest density
(weight) produces the densest seed, Yields the
largest quantity of cleaned wheat, better ears
and the largest stools. They are not
the largest grains The speci6o
gravity is l. 80 to Ia Less dense
seed of a specific gravity of ~ nroduced
but 344 pounds of cleaned grain to 100 pounds
yielded by the same quantity of the densest
seed" We may here note that in selecting
seed for the production of seed, that of a
proper specific gravity may be secured by
making solution of % pounds of salt TO each
ten pounds of water, and pouring the grain
into it. After stirring the grain and leaving
1t to settle, that of the right density will be
found at the bottom of the vessel, and the
lighter may be skinned off, This test NAV
be made after that of the tanning mill, in
which the lighter grains and the plumper
ones, too, will be blown over the screen and
the heaviest ones collected under the mill.