Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-09-30
ROAD and FARM
"
TIME FOR HARVESTING GRAIN
II Left Uncut Until Dead Ripe Many
Varieties Loses Both in Quality
and Quantity.
Cry ROBERT II. CAHOONo

tfY kplif.ltT II.
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 O. ripe before har-
voSting.
No one can ride about h country
in summer without being struck and
amazed at the prevalence of this er-
rOr.
You will notice field after field that
has reached, or is approaching, the
period Of dead ~ripenoss, and that ought
to lave beer harvested several days
before.
w.. arising from this source is
mUIr appreciate and more easily es-
timatod, 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
to all.
If wheat is cut two weeks or so be-
fore it fully ripCns, it contains more
gluten II starch and a bushel will
weigh more, and it will make a larger
quantity and ii better quality Of -four,
VII q 1000 NufhltltS VI bidi vi hiiN
dlings, than if it were allowed to ripen.
This is by no means a matter of
theory. 1t is the result of careful OBJ
servatiOn.
The straw will begin to change color
slightly two or three weeks before the
grain N 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 h 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 it is here. they have studied this
point carefully than we have.
The best farmers begin to cut while
a portion OF the stalk is green. as soon
&C the kernel has passed from he
'.,i'ky" 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 it
was green: second, a week after, when
it was changing color; and third, when
fully ripe.
The result was in the first case 1917
bushels an acre; in the second, 23A !;
in the third, 23M and the same diff
ference was found in the straw.
The total value an acre was: in that
cut green. $6230; in that cut n week
after. when the stalk vas yellow be-
low the ear, $64.61; in that cut one
week after, when fully ripe, S56.13.
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
and becomes hard, and of course
gives a larger proportion of bran and
less fine flour.
Beside, in early cutting there is less
loss from Smelling 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 riDen 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 nutritive condi-
ton.