The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-09-30
Harvesting Duckwhear.

Il
ton and equally careful harvesting.
Ii is semi-tropical plant, exceed
ingly tender, and easily killed by
frost, but vet it grows best IN cool
weather and does not fill the grain
well until so late in the season that
the grower is always anxious lest
the frost should injure or destroy
his crop. Consequently the farmer
must sow as late as possible, and
vet he must avoid danger of injury
by early frosts. And when be has
escaped this danger the harvesting
brings more difficulties which he
has to look out for. This plant does
not ripen evenly. The grain forms
first at the lower part Of the flower
stalk, and the seed ripens there
while it is green above. and at the
top the blossom is sIill opening.
The harvesting, therefore, must be
begun at a season when the most
grain can be secured in the best con-
dition. And here again comes In
more risk, viz: that OF cutting the
grain too soon, and before the larg-
est quantity can be secured, 2nd also
that of leaving the crop to be seri-
ously injured by an untimely hard
frost, which will kill and cause TO
shrivel up the immature grain,
which would otherwise fill and ma
ture in the curing, while drying IN
the gavel. This crop is thus seen to
be surrounded with dangers from
beginning to end, and it is not safe
even until it is well sold, for while
in the granary it is still liable to IN
Jury from heating and molding In
spite of great care These things
should be understood by the farmer
so that he may exercise discretion
in the management of the crop, be-
cause it is evident, with so mary diff
ficulties in the way which cannot be
foreseen and provided for, no gener-
al rule can be laid down which will
meet even a majority of cases. The
only rule that can be given is the
very unsatisfactory one, +" Cut this
grain as soon as it is ready" and the
only help that can be afforded to
the inexpert farmer is 10 show as
nearly as may be when the grain is
ready to be cut.
Generally an expert buckwheat
.xrou.r mill loaua tha orn, ctopdlnp
until the first frost, which kills the
upper leaves and blossoms. The low
er branches, which bear the most of
the grain, escape. The grain will
be still green in larger part, but it
will not suffer by cutting. The
plant is SO succulent that the sap
will be sufficient to mature and fill
the grain after it is cut. and the grain
then ripens in the shock. If frost is
late then the condition of the grain
must be closely watched, and when
the lowest branches are flied with
ripe grains, the crop should be cut
at once, lest these shell out and be-
come lost.
When the buckwheat is cut il
lies in the swath until it is free from
surface moisture, but no longer. 1t
is an injury to leave it to shrivel and
dry in the sun. This stops the fill
ing of the immature grains, which
would fill slowly under the pro,ec-
ton of the stalks and leaves while
standing in the gavel. The gavels
should be made OF fair size. lfthey
are too small the straw dries too
quickly; if too large it remains Wet
and delays the threshing. The
writer's plan is to rake up as large a
bunch as possible one way and set it
up between two swaths; then to
rake as much on the same swath to
this bunch and set up with it, then |
when the next swath is raked the
grain is set up in the same manner
with that previously set up, so as to
make each gavel contain four rake
fuls. This makes a gavel of conven-
lent size every way. The gavel is |
not bound. The grain stays in the
gavel, until it is cured and dry. |
Care is taken to set up these, if they |
are overturned or disturbed by |
storms. As the stalks or pedicels of
the grain are exceedingly weak, the
grain easily becomes detached and |
wasted. In hauling the crop to the
thresher, it is well TO have blankets
or sheets spread over the rack to
save the loose grain, also to carry it |
on cloudy or damp day, so as to |
prevent the loss of grain. For the
same reason the grain is cut when |
the stalks are damp. When the
grain is threshed it should be spread
on a barn floor and thoroughly air
ed on dry, windy days before it is
put in bins, and even after that it
must be shifted and exposed to dry
ing air, or it viii heat in the bin. 1t
is one or the worst grains to keep,
and the farmer will do we'll to get
rid of his surplus as soon as posi-
bic, and store what he retains on a
floor in a heap not over loot in
depth.