The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-08-17
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THRASHING WHEAT.
The Popularity Of Thrsshing from the
Shock Rather Than from the Stack.


The Popularity OF Thrashing from the
Shock Rather Than from the Stack.
The advantages claimed by some for
stacking wheat are: /. Thrashing can
be done from the stack ut much less cost
in season when help is plentiful and
easily obtained. 2. The wheat can be
thrashed cleaner from the straw. Some
claim enough is thus saved to pay the
thrashers' bill. 3. By going through
sweat in the stack the grain is of better
quality, plumper and brighter in color,
and by reason of going through sweat
in the stack is absolutely safe to store
in bulk of any desired amount. An
Ohio farmer correspondent, while admit
ting that there are some grounds for
these claims, thinks that thrashing from
the shock is becoming generally popular
of late years, especially in sections where
considerable areas are grown, and he
gives the following reasons for this:
Perhaps the decline in stacking re-
suits from the liability of farmers to get
their wheat stacked in manner to in
sure it keeping properly in case much
rain follows the stacking, as good wheat
stackers are about as scarce as hens
teeth. Farmers generally have learned
by bitter experience that it is safer TO
leave their wheat in the shock a consid-
srable time If necessary, and incur some
additional expense in thrashing from the
shock, rather than run the risk of hav-
ing their wheat stacked in a bungling,
unskillful manner. If we are lucky
enough to have favorable weather and
can exchange team work with neighbor
which can usually be done-thrashing
from the shock need not be attended
with much if any greater cost than
thrashing from the stack, as the extra
number Of teams required is the only
item Of additional cost And if a bal
ance be struck between the two methods
of thrashing we actually find a saving
Gn favor of thrashing from the shock of
the labor of stacker, of the person hand
ing sheaves to stacker and Of the labor
necessary to deliver the sheaves from
the rick to the machine, which labor, all
told, will require four men TO perform.
The man who strikes a wet time in
his first experience in thrashing from
the shock will not be very enthusiastic
in his praise of the practice, while if the
weather proves favorable it will remain
for some future season to apprise him Of
it's many possible disadvantages. Since
by experience | have become thoroughly
initiated in this manner of thrashing, |
find it best when a wet spell comes on
to postpone operations indefinitely and
discharge all hands until the weather
shows signs of being settled and the
wheat thoroughly dries out.
Bear in mind that wheat thrashed wet
or damp can never be properly dried,
even with very great expenditure of
labor, and if stored in bulk in this con-
dition the efforts of nature to get rid of
the dampness result in a rise of tempera-
ture in the grain, according to the
amount Of dampness it contains. If the
heat is excessive the grain cakes and
molds, producing amusty smell not only
on the outside of the grain, but also ex-
tends to the interior, resulting in serious
deterioration of both quality and value Of
the flour manufactured from it. The
quickest best and only place to dry wheat
is while yet in the straw. a light shower
or heavy dew will quickly dry, but III
case of continued damp weather, though
little rain falls, renders wheat unfit for
thrashing from he'shock.
The length of time wheat should
stand in the field before being thrcshed
depends on the state of ripeness when
cut and the weather following. 1t will
need to stand longer than if the wheat
is to be put in stack, and here is where
over thrashing from the shock, as the
wheat can be taken off the fields before
the grass is killed under the shocks,
which will be from six to tep days with
clover and fifteen to twenty days with
timothy.