Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-10-05
ROAD and FARM
IMPROVEMENT
TIME FOR HARVESTING GRAIN
II Left Uncut Until Dead Ripe Many
Varieties Loses Both In Quality !
and Quantity.
tBy ROBERT H. cAHooN,

(By ROBERT H. CAHOON.)
Among the numerous mistakes that
lead to enormous wastes on the farm.
few are more worthy of attention
than that of letting grain, oats. wheat.
rye. corn. etc. get too ripe before har-
vesting.
No one can ride about the country
In summer without being struck and
amazed at the prevalence Of this err
ror.
You will notice field after field that
has reached. or is approaching, the
period of dead ripeness, and that ought
to have been harvested several days
before.
The loss arising from this source is
more appreciable and more easily es-
timated. perhaps in wheat, of which
We cultivate comparatively little, than
1t is in other grains. like oats and rye.
but the same general principle applies
to all.
II wheat is cut two weeks or SO be-
fore 1t fully ripens, 1t contains more
gluten and starch and bushel will
weigh more, and It will make a larger
quantity and better quality Of flour.
with a less quantity of bran or mid
dlings, than II It were allowed to ripen.
This is by no means matter Of
theory. It Is the result Of careful OBJ
servation.
The straw will 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 will begin to ripen and change
color at the bottom. In some less ia.
vorable seasons the upper joints turn
first.
In the great wheat-growing sections
Of the far East, where wheat.growing
is carried on to a much greater extent
than 1t is here, they have studied this
point more 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 "doughy" 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
ment was made to ascertain the DIFF
ference, taking wheat, first, when 1t
was green; second, week after. when
It was changing color: and third. when
fully ripe.
The result was in the first case 1sX
bushels an acre; In the second, 23A !:
In the third. 23Nl; 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, $64.61; in that cut one
week after. when fully ripe. $56.13.
The first two productions had more
fine flour 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 shelling out in handling. and
from high winds. which involves a
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 for
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. II they would be
in their best and most nutritive condi-
ton.