The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1917-07-26
THE WHEAT HARVEST

The time is here when pretty good
wheat crop will be harvested and we
calculate that the Colorado yield will
amount to twenty million bushels al
though the government experts are
putting it at lesser figure as they al
ways do. There is much difference
in opinion as to the proper time to cut
the wheat. 1t is common rule how
ever to do the job when the berry is
in the dough state-that is, when the
grain may be readily crushed between
the thumb and forefinger.. Most
farmers cut it at this time, believing
that they can get more bushels to the
acre, resulting in a greater amount
of flour of better quality. Starch and
gluten are the most valuable consti-
tutents of the wheat, and if it is al
lowed to become to ripe, these quail
tiles are greatly diminished and the
wheat becomes more or less woody.
One of the greatest sources of loss
arises from the careless and hurried
manner of shocking the bundles.
Boys should never be entrusted with
this work, neither should inexperien-
ced men be employed in this work, as
they are always pretty sure to do a
poor job. Several methods of shock
ing are followed. Some set the bun
dies in pairs of two, forming a row Of
ten or even twenty. Others make a
round shock of ten bundles and then
break two bundles at the heads
and place them on top as cap sheaves.
The latter is probably the best as it
will stand rain better, the tops only
being exposed, while the remainder
is protected. If the shock becomes
throughly wet, as it is sure to do in
the catchy weather of the rainy sea-
son, if not property made and pro-
tected, the grain will begin to grow,
thus resulting in poor grade Of
flour. To make wheat cutting both
easy and speedy, have changes OF
horses ready so that the teams may be
relieved every two or three hours.
Some farmers are using the gasoline
engine on the binder and find it very
satisfactory. In most cases three or
dinary horses weighing about 1900 lbs.
each are required to pull the six foot
binder and four on the eight foot.
The cost of harvesting depends on the
price of twine, the cost Of labor, etc.
Men are scarce this year and the price
has raised to $3.50 day of ten hours.
Most hands object to working after 6
o'clock, although this. is usually the
best time for shocking grain. A bin
der with plenty of horses to change can
cut and bind fifteen acres day very
satisfactorily. When the work is de-
layed, as it is somestimes the case
when cheap and knotty grade OF
twine is used, the acreage cut is much
reduced. It does not pay to use any
but the very best of twine. Harvest
ing is much more quickly done than
years ago, and one advantage that
the women folks have is that they are
not required to cook for great crowds
Of hungry harvest hands, although
this year there is likely to be a scar
city of organized crews so that the
neighbors will have to exchange work
which will require feeding in the old
fashioned way. Like horses, binders
will respond to good treatment, but
many times they fail to get it even
from men who delight to work with
the best Of machinery. Because
binder is well constructed of iron or
steel is no reason for thinking that it
will withstand the attacks of scorch-
ing weather or rough use indefinitely
without injury. The necessity of
having the grain we'll shocked is very
apparent for it is at times from three