Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-07-12
H.rve.tinv ~. wh..t cron.

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 ia 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 of and in trying to make the
old worn canvas do another year 10
enough to make any man rush when
his wheat harvesting should be going
on. Sometimes trip to town IL nee
essary because the oil has been forgot
ten, or the buying of Irvine has been
neglected. Wheat harvest is not such
task when the machinery, Irvine and
oil have been made ready at odd hours.
so that the first days harvesting will
at least be as satisfactory as the sue.
ceeding days.
Careless work In shocking wheat 10
the rule. Usually harvest hands rush
into wheat section because Of high
wages and expect to return to their
homes again in 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 center is almost sure
to twist and fall should rainy weather
come before threshlng begins. II
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 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 bundle.
may be placed OH the side Of these
when the occasion requires 1t. 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 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 pasturagA
makes the stubble-field 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 the
stock hogs that are getting but q
small amount of corn Is sufficient to
convince the most skeptlcal that II
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 thu
evening twilight for gathering in the
field. When more frequent feeding lie
desired, give the ration at noon, when
the animals are shedding. The feed,
fresh water and cool shade should moi
be too far from the: pasture land.
Have them as near together as posi-.
BILE. II a mud bath is provided, II
should be kept clean. Throw fresh
dirt into a wallow, or make new one
every few days. A filthy wallow I'M.
der the trough by well is not only Q
nuisance but is very unsanitary.-W.
| B. Anderson, in indianapolis NewA