The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1885-10-22
HARVESTING svckwHEAr
A Particular Crop That Demands mor'
- Than Ordinary Attention..

. p.r,,.,,.r Crop That Demands More
Than Ordinary Attention.
Buckwheat Is mn exceptional grain.
Il requires special care In cultivation
and equally careful harvesting. 1t Is u
,eml.tropical plant, exceedingly tender,
md easily killed by frost, but yet IL
rrows best In cool weather and does
iot fiji tho grain well Until 80 late 1T
he scason that the grower Is always
anxious lest the frost should injnrc or
destroy his crop. Consequently tho
larmor must SOW rs late Us possible
md yet he must avoid danger of injury
by early frosts. And when 10 has as
capped this danger the harvesting brings
more difficulties which no has to look
out for. This plant does not rlpen
evenly. The grain forms first on tho
lower part OF tho flower stalk and tho
seed ripcns there while il is green
above Ind at the top the blossom IL
still opening. The harvesting, there
fore. must be begun nj n season when
the most grain can bc secured in the
best condition. And here again comes
in more risk. viz: that Of cutting tho
grain too soon and before the largest
quantity can DO secured, and also that
of leaving the crop to be seriously in.
jurcd by m untimcly hard frost, which
will kill and cause to shrivel up the inn
mature grain. which would otherwise
fiji and mature In tho niring. while
drying in the gavel. This crop il thus
seen To bc surrounded with danger,
from beginning TO end. and ii Is not
safe even until IL is well sold, for whils
in the granary it is still liable to injury
from heating and molding in spite OF
great care. These things should Id
understood by the farmer, so that he
may exercise discretion in the manage.
mcnt of the crop, because IT is evident,
with so many difficulties In the way
which can not be forcsccn and provided
for. no general rule can be laid down
which will meet even n majority OF
eases. The only rule that can be given
is the very unsatisfactory one: "Cu'
this grain rs soon Us IL Is ready" aud
the only help that can be afforded tc
the incxpert farmer is to show as near.
~ rs may be when the grain is ready
TO be cut.
Generally an expert buckwhcat
grower will leave the crop standing
until the first frost, which kills the
upper leaves and blossoms. The lower
branches, which bear tho most of the
grain, escape. The grain will be still
green in larger part. but 1t will moi
suffer by cutting. The plant is so sue.
culcnt that the sap will be sufficient &c
mature and fill the grain after il is cut,
and the grain then ripcns in the shock.
II frost j. late. then the condition OF
the grain mast be closely watched, and
when tho lowest branches are filled
with ripe grains the crop should he cut
at once. lest these shell on, and become
lost.
When the buckwheat is cut il lies IL
tho swath until 1t is free from surface
moisture, but no longer. 1t is an in.
Jury to leave 1t to shrivel and dry in
The sun. This stops the filling OF Tho
immature grains which would fill
slowly under the protection of tho
stalks and leaves while standing in tie
gavcl. The gavels should bc made of
fair size. II they are too small the
straw dries too quickly; II too large
Il remains wet and delays the thrash.
ing. The writer's plan is TO rake
up as large bunch ~ possible
one way and set ii up between two
.waths; then to rake rs much OH the
same swa,h to this bunch AMI set ur
with it. then when the next swath i
raked the grain is set up in the same
,uanner with tina, previously set up. SC
Us to make each gavcl contain four
rakcfuls. This makes II gavcl OF con-
vcnicnt size every way. The gave! is
not bound. Tho grain stays in the
gavel until it is cured and dry. Care Is
10 he taken to set up these If they are
overturned or disturbed by storms. rs
the stalks or pcdiccls OF the grain are
exceedingly weak, the gram easily be-
comes detached and wasted. In haul
Ing the crop to the thrashcr, it is well
10 have blankets or sheets sprcal over
the rack to save the loose grain. also to
carry it on n cloudy or damp day so rs
10 prevent the loss of grain. For the
same reason the grain is cut when the
stalks are damp. When the grain is
thrashcd 1t should be spread on n barn
floor and thoroughly aired on dry.
windy days before it is put in bins, and
even after that it must he shifted and
exposed to drying mir, or il will heat in
the bin. II Is one of the worst grains
to keep. and the farmer will do we'll &c
get rid of his surplus rs soon rs posi-.
bic, and store what he retains on q
floor in u heap not over foot in
"