Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-11-13
HARVESTING CROPS.
A Difficulty Which is Extremely Trying to
Farmers.

Farmers.
Every product of the farm has it's
best time to harvest it, and if gathered
before, OF permitted to remain ungath-
cred later, it fails to come up to its best
condition when wanted for consump-
ton. just when this time arrives to
some crops it is very difficult to decide;
and in the pressure OF work it often
happens that the farmer is not ready to
harvestA crop just at the time he be-
lieves to be the best, so quite q large
proportion of our crops are either gath
cred too soon, OF are not gathered until
after the time they should be. Some
crops are injured more than others by
not being harvested at the right time.
The small grains remain but a short
time in their best condit'cn; if
gathered but q few days before
ripe, the kernel will shrink very much.
and if permitted to stand a few days
too long it may be very much injured
by q rain storm, orif dry weather, much
Of it lost by dropping out of the
ear while harvesting. The change in
grass is not qaitc so rapid; but there is
a best time for cutting each field of
grass, but just when this time arrives it
is not very clear to most intelligent
farmers. and there is quite q difference
of opinion as to what condition grass
should be in when cut; and as surround.
ing circumstances have much to do
with this, it must be left to each farmer
to consider and decide his OWE .particu-
lar case. Every farmer should make it
his business 70 inform himself as to the
best time to cue each field of grass, to
secure to his own particular want the
best results; in fact, he should carefully
observe the condition of all his crops,
and as far as5S;pbssible satisfy himself
when each cropjs in tho best state to
harvest.
The crops that have the fewest days
or hours when in full perfection should
secure the first attention, and the
crops that remain the longest M
changed should be left until the more
important work is done.
Just when to gather even winter fruit
is sometimes very difficult to decide;
while it may be well known that q few
days more of good weather would very
much improve it. an approaching,
storm may make it seem very desir-
able to gather it; even though it may
not be in its highest condition. AS
we are rover certain what the weather
will be, so we are never sure that we
are harvesting cur fruit ct just the right
time. One serious difficulty, which the
farmer meets with in harvesting his
winter fruit is the hot weather
that often follows What is wanted is
q well-constructed fruit house that will
keep out the heat of q warm October
day then it would not be SO difficult to
decide when to gather winter fruit for
if gathered as Q o as grown and stored
in & room with an even temperature, it
would ripen without decaying, as is
often the case when heated by warm
weather after being gathered.
The time is no doubt coming when
we shall have s%torehouses SO con
stru cted that we eau keep the perishable
products of the farm until wanted for
consumption. and ret have them ripen
to full perfection without loss by decay
then we shall not be so much in doubt
as to when it is best to harvest our
fruits aud vegetables -!Aassachaset
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