The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1885-10-17
HARVESTING BUCKWHEAT
a Particular Crop That Demands More
Than Ordinary Attention.

HARVESTING BUCKWhEAT
A Particular Crop That Demands More
Than Ordinary Attention.
Buckwheat is an exceptional grain.
1t requires special care in cultivation
and equally careful harvesting. II is a
semi-tropical plant, exceedingly tender,
and easily killed by frost, but yet il
crows best in cool weather and does
lot I'LL the grain well until so late in
he season that the grower is always
anxious lest the frost should injure OF
destroy his crop. Consequently the
,armer must SOW as late as possible,
and yet he must avoid danger of injury
by early frosts. And when he has es-
capped this danger the harvesting brings
more difficulties which he has to look
out for. This plant does not ripen
evenly. The grain forms first on the
lower part of the flower stalk and the
seed ripens there while it is green
above and at the top the blossom is
still opening. The harvesting, there
fore, must be begun al a season when
the most grain can be. secured in the
best condition. And here again comes
in more risk, viz: that of cutting the
grain too soon and before the largest
quantity can be secured, and also that
of leaving the crop to be seriously in.
jured by an untimely hard frost, which
will kill and cause to shrivel up the i'm
mature grain, which would otherwise
fill and mature in the curing, while
drying in the gavel. Thy 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 injury
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 manage.
ment of the crop, because it is evident,
with So many difficulties in the way
which can o be foreseen and provided
for, no general 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 to show as near.
~ as may be when the grain is ready
to be cut,
Generally an expert buckwheat
grower will leave the crop standing
until the first frost. which kills the
upper leaves and blossoms. The lower
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 sue.
culent that the sap will be sufficient tc
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 filled
with ripe grains the crop should be cut
at once. lest these shell out and become
lost.
When the buckwheat is cut it lies il
the swath until it is free from surface
moisture, but no longer. 1t is an in
jury to leave it to shrivcl and dry in
the sun. This stops the filling of the
immature grains which would fill
slowly under the protection of the
stalks and leaves while standing in the
gavel. The gaveIs should be made of
fair size, If they are too small the
straw dries too quickly; if too large
it remains wet and delays the thrash.
ing. 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 ur
with it, then when the next swath is
raked the grain is set up in the same
manner with that previously set up, SC
as to make each gavel contain four
rakefuls. This makes 4 gavel of con.
venient size every way. The gavel is
not bound. The grain stays in the
gavel until it is cured and dry. Care is
to be 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 gram easily be-
comes detached and wasted. In haul
ing the crop to the thrasher, it is we'll
to have blankets or sheets spread V e
the rack to save the loose grain, also to
carry it on a 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
thrashed it should be spread on 4 barn
floor and thoroughly aired on dry,
days before it is put in bins, and
even after that it must be shifted and
exposed to drying air, or it will heat in
he bin. II is one of the worst grains
10 keep, and the farmer will do well tc
get rid of his surplus as soon as posi-.
Die. and store what he retains on a
loOr in q heap not over q foot in
lcpth. " J. Times.