Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-07-11
Harvesting the Wheat Crop.

Usually the farmer who has forgot
ten to mend his canvas, to oil his ma
chine, to give needed repairs, is the
farmer who gets into the greatest
rush when the golden grain is ripened
for the shock. No wonder the work
crowds him. Two or three trips to
town, one or two days lost in getting
the rust off and in trying to make the
old worn canvas do another year is
enough to make any man rush when
his wheat harvesting should be going
on. Sometimes a trip to town is nee
essary because the oil has been forgot
ten, or the buying of Irvine has been
neglected. Wheat harvest is not such
a task when the machinery, Irvine and
oil have been made ready at odd hours,
so thai the first days harvesting will
at least be as satisfactory as the sue
ceeding days.
Careless work in shocking wheat is
the rule. Usually harvest hands rush
into a wheat section because of high
wages and expect to return to their
homes again in a few days. Little do
they care for the character of the work
they do in the harvest field. a shock
with too many bundles on one side or
twisted in the ceuter is almost sure
to twist and fall should rainy weather
come before threshing begins. If
these shockers are given definite
plan for shocking, they will set up
shocks that will shed rain much bet
ter than the haphazard way.
If six bundles are placed in a row,
the center bundles almost straight and
the others facing them, then two plac-
ed on each side of these and heads
we'll pressed together the shock will
support one or two cap bundles with
out twisting or falling. Odd bundles
may be placed ON the side of these
when the occasion requires it. The
man running the binder can do much
toward assisting the shocker in get
ting even, well-balanced shocks by get
ting his bundles in even rows. Large
punches Of bundles here and a small
number in another place makes bad
shocking.
Less wheat is left in the field than
was left when the cradle or old reap
ers were used. The binder does ex-
cellent work, picking up and saving
the straw; still several bushels of
wheat are left in the field. The exer-
else in gathering the grain, together
with the young, tender pasturage,
makes the stubble-feld valuable for
hog pasture or for sheep. The sheep
delight in running through the stubble,
nipping the clover blossom, the tender
briar and the ragweed.
The excellent gains made by tho
stock hogs that are getting but a
small amount of corn is sufficient to
convince the most skeptical that it
pays to make arrangements for pas
turing the wheat stubble.
Where light grain feeding is prac-
ticed, feed at night. This induces the
animals to use the early dawn and the
evening twilight for gathering in the
field. When more frequent feeding is
desired, give the ration at noon, when
the animals are shedding. The feed,
fresh water and cool shade should not
be too far from the pasture land
Have them as near together as posi-
ble If a mud bath is provided, it
should be kept clean. Throw fresh
dirt into a wallOw, or make a new one
every few days. A filthy wallow I'M
der the trough by a well is rot only
nuisance, but is very unsanitary.-W. |
B. Anderson, in indianapolis NeWA