Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-05-28

Harvesting Grain Crops.


wheat or barley has not yet been discoy-
cred, and hence there is usually a wide
range of prices which millers, malsters
and merchants are prepared to pay for
the greatyariety Of samples offering in
the markets during the season. Never
theless the cost Of producing wheat
worth eighty-four cents. oats worth forty
cents, and barley worth eighty-four
cents per bushel is practically the same
as that of producing these varieties of
grain worth only sixty-eight, twenty
eight, and sixty-four cents per bushel,
respectively and leaving out of account
unavorable weather influences. there is
no valid reason why SO large a proper
ton Of the grain grown should be of in
ferior quality and damaged in one way
or another. It must be clearly under
stood at the outset that it is not sought
to discount the adverse influences of a
season upon both the quantity and quail
ity of the grain crop.
In our variable and capricious English
climate it frequently happens that I'M
favorable harvest weather affords Sc
we're test for the exercise of skill, in
dustry. and ingenuity in the endeavor
to make the best of circumstances and
to ward of the most serious ills to
which the crops are exposed. Of course
no amount of skilled endeavor can pre-
vent serious deterioration of quality in
the case of heavy crops battered down
by rain before they are fully ripened
and when the question for consideration
by farmers is frequently whether it
would not be polite to cut the late crops
for hay rather than abide the alterna-
tives Of damaged grain and half-rotted
straw. Nor is it possible wholly to
prevent the losses thus occasioned, but
in ordinary seasons, with an average
rain fall in harvest time, the weather
hindrances are grappled and easily
overcome by far-seeing, persevering,
judicious operations; though too many,
on the contrary, fold their hands and
await the rolling away Of the clouds
before they attempt to do anything or
pursue the regular course they have
been accustomed to without thought or
consideration, and in no respect endeavor
to adapt action to the exigencies of cir.
cumstances. The inequality of qualities
Of the parcels of grain packed on the
markets year after year show to what an
extent the indolent, listless, and fool
hardy suffer more than those who bring
intelligence, skill, and foresight to bear
on the state of things commonly expe-
rienced during the gathering of grain
crops.
Some crops are certain to suffer more
than others by remaining uncut when
they should be reaped, and one of the
most serious mistakes into which too
many fall is not to give priority to oat-
cutting in anticipation of broken. tenn
pestuous weather. The grain adheres
to oat heads by such frail Stake when
ever crops are allowed to get thoroughly
ripe the first stiff wind that blows COCA
sions prodigious shedding of the grain.
This is the reason that most experienced
farmers in this country make it q rule
to cut their oat crops ION the greenside,"
or when only just on toward ripeness.
Stiff blasts will take of the heads of
over-ripened barley rather extensively
but these may be raked up and utilized,
while the same force of wind will thresh
out an over-ripe crop and infiict seri-
GUS loss, whereas had it been cut in time
the evil Of shedding would have been
avoided and the grower would still have
the further advantage Of better quality
Of straw for foddering purposes. Barley
should be allowed to reach more ad-
vanced stage of maturity before cutting
than the oat crops, but as the ears begin
to droop and lose their purple hue, &C.
curing light straw color. aud before
the grain is quite hard, it should be
reaped. Although for some years mill
ers in this country we're opposed to the
practice of reaping the wheat crops be.
fore the thorough hardening of the
grain they subsequently, willingly ad-
mitted that the largest quantity Of the
best quality of grain is obtained BY
harvesting before the crop is dead ripe
When the grain is glazed and before it
has become hard it is in the best con.
dition for reaping, and the farmers who
follow the rule avoid risks of losses from
harvesting too late. In Australia, | am
informed, where the stripper is extern
sively used, the crop has to be allowed
to ripen thoroughly, for if stripped con
the green side" the grain shrivsls as it
is cut of from connection with the straw
but the case is different where the
reaper is used, and the experiences of
Australia are that wheat stripped or
reaped after it is dead ripe possesses
dryness, houriness and other excellent
qualities, but is inferior in strength to
that which has been raped slightly on
the green side.
PROFESSIONALLY the primary mistake
into which many farmers fall is that Of
not reaping the grain crops when in the
early stage of maturity, for by no other
means can the casualties Of harvest in n
moist and tempestuous climate be less
ened. 1t may be argued that crops so
reaped must be kept longer in stock and
that q protracted risk is involved, where
as we're they allowed to ripen they could
be thrested from the stock a week OF
two after reaping. The experiences of
this common practice have been sprouted
discolored and very frequent frosted
grain and invariably inferior straw
while on the other hand crops timely
cut, firmly stocked aud hooded are i'm.
pervious to wet and will withstand pro.
longed tempestuous weather without
damage until it is convenient to carl
and stack It is q well-esta blished fact
that the quality of the grain is vastly
improved BY stacking the crop for
time, and no farmer deserving the namt
will question the improvement effected
in the straw for foddering purposes. Ia
conclusion, cannot speak too openly o