Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-07-26
Threshinq Grain.

ter to thresh the grain crops early,
or else delay this work until mid
winter. Better prices can be realized
at these times. If sold early, we can
always get a few cents nore per
bushel, as we can get our crop 10
market before the Western grain
comes in, and, in midwinter, railroad
freights are higher from the interior,
and this helps all farmers near the
Atlantic coast. Don't thresh too
early. Let the wheat 60 through its
natural sweat in the straw in the
barn before threshing. This sweat
ing process usually requires about
one months time. If the wheat is
threshed before this sweating has
been completed, it will sweat in the
grain, and if put on the market in this
half-cured condition, it can only be
sold as clamp" or tough" wheat,
and at loss of several cents per
bushel to the grower. These few
extra cents belong to the producer,
and, for good, sound article the miller
or merchant will always be willing to
give full prices. Damp or tough
wheat will not make either good or
bookkeeping -four, and many millers
will not buy it at any price. | know
this by experience, and more than
once have been compelled to have
my wheat stored and dried out at
considerable expense, and much
trouble in the bargain, before it could
be sold. Last year | met young
farmer who had several Thousand
bushels of wheat spoiled by heating
on the vessel before reaching this
city, and it sold for just one-half the
price of good article.
This being a very wet season,
great care will have to be exercised
in order to have a good, dry sample.
1t is hard to wait, especially where
bills are pressing, but damp wheat
will not command price. In thresh-
ing we find it best to stack the wheat
straw in the barnyard, making the
stack full in the middle, and have
the sides well combed down to shed
water freely. The oat straw should
be packed in the barn as threshed, as
this straw is worth at the lowest SIS
per ton on the farm. Dat straw
makes very good feed for horses,
cattle and sheep, fed once day in
connection with hay. Our usual
manner of feeding it is by cutting it
up-one-third oats straw and two
thirds clover hay-and then mixed
with millfeed and crushed corn and
cob. Dat straw, if cut before the
straw is dead ripe, and cured and
stored when the straw is bright and
sweet, is worth double in feeling
value to that which is allowed to
get very ripe, and put away damp
and musty.
In storing grain of any kind, ven
tilation must be given it in either by
having the grain spead thinly, or
else by having it shoveled eovr fire.
quently, or run through the tanning
mill once or twice. The careful
farmers of Cumberland Valley ven
tilate their grain bins by fine wire
cots, placed securely in the middle of
each bin. This allows the air to
reach down to the bottom of the wheat,
and the moisture can readily pass
off.
In our section it does not pay to
grow wheat exclusively for the grain.
The straw is alsJ valuable, and should
be made to pay most of the expense
of growing the crop. This can be
done by combining butter-making
along with grain-growing. Let the
butter be made to pay the running
expenses of the farm, and keep the
wheat untilit is dry, clean thoroughly,
and sell when prices are highest.