The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1910-10-27
TIME FOR HARVESTING GRAIN
u Left Uncut Until Dead RiPe Many
Varieties Loses Both in Quality
and Quantity

neg ROBERT IT, tA'.' .NN
Among ma numerous mistakes that .
'oad ,o .nWmola wastes 90 lh" larm' .
few ar. moro worthy of attention
than ,ha, of letting grain, oats. wheat
rye, corn, etc. get too ripe before mar
yosrinr
No one can ride about the country
I'm summer without being struck ana
amazed %, the prevalence of this or
roT
Yon WIN notice field after field that
has reached, or IS approaching, the
period of dead ripcncss, and that ought
10 have been harvested several days
before.
The loss arising from this source is
more appreciate and more easily os'
timated, perhaps In wheat Of which
We cultivate comparatively little, than
It IS IN other grains, like oats and rye,
but the same general principle applies
10 an
II wheat is cut two weeks or so be-
fore it fully ripcns 81 contains more
gluten and starch and a hnshcl VIII
weigh more, and st win make q larger
quantity and better quality Of -four
with a lcss quantity Of bran or mid.
dlings. than If It were allowed TO ripen.
This Is by no means a matter Of
theory
The straw win begin TO change color
slightly two or three weeks before the
grain comes TO complete maturity.
In the best and most favorable sea.
sons It win begin 20 ripen and change
color at the bottom. IN some less IA.
yorable seasons the upper joints turn
first
IN tho great whoatgrowing sections
Of the far East, whore whoatgrOwing
IS carried on to a much greater extent
than IT IS here, they have studied this
point moro carefully than we have.
The best farmers begin TO cut while
a portion Of the stalk IS green. as soon
as the kernel has passed from the
| milky" TO the "donghy" state.
The stalk has then begun TO change
color, sometimes from the bottom
sometimes for three or four inches be.
/ low the head.
A most careful and accurate expert.
/ mcnt was made TO ascertain the dif-
/ ference, taking wheat, first, when It
was green; second, a week after, when
II was changing color; and third, when
fully ripe.
The result was IN the first case 19%
bushels an acre; IN the second, 23H ::
in the third, 2G%; and the same DIFF
ference was found IN the straw.
The total value an acre was: in that
/ cut green, 5000; IN that cut one week
after, when the stalk was yellow be.
low the ear, s6iGl; in that cut one
week after, when fully ripe, sjGl3.
The first two productions had moro
| fine -four and less bran than that cut
last, showing that gluten is converted
into starch in standing TO get fully
ripe,
When either end Of the stalk turns
yellow, the sap ceases to flow, and the
covering or shell Of the kernel thick.
ems and becomes hard, and Of course
gives a larger proportion Of bran and
| less fine -four
Beside, In early cutting there is less
loss from Smelling out In handling, and
from high winds which involves q
very heavy loss in ripened grain.
Now what Is true Of wheat is, in the
main, also true Of other small grains
oats and rye. If We raise them foi
seed to sow again, they ought to be
allowed to ripen fully but If for grind
Ing or for feed for animals, they
should be cut early If they would be
In their best and most nutriuve condi
ton.