The Carlisle independent., 1918-06-13

Harvesting 4 Prepared by the United States Depart rent of Agriculture.)
 | Oats usually are cut with a grain | binder though in the drier sections the l header or the combined harvester and
 thrasher is used occasionally. When l the straw is very short, due to drought,
 or when the crop is badly lodged, cut | ting with mower may be necessary. The grain may then be raked and put to shed rain. The proper time to cut oats is when they are in the hard | dough stage. Cut before this time the
 grain is not well filed, it shrivels in curing, and is light in weight. If all
 lowed to become fully ripe before cut
 ting, a considerable part of the crop shatters out and is lost in harvesting.
 The danger of damage from storms also is increased. When large acre age is to be harvested it is advisable to begin cutting soon after the grain l passes out of the milk stage. as other
 wise considerable part of the crop is likely to become too ripe before it can be cut.
 Shocking.
 If the grain is ripe or in the hard dough stage when cut, it may be placed
 at once in round shocks, which should be capped to prevent damage from rain and dew. The best quality of grain
 can be obtained under these conditions.
 If the grain is green or if the bundles contain many weeds, they should be al
 lowed to cure for few hours before
 shocking. and then should be placed in long shocks, which may or may not be capped. Long shocks allow the sun and air to penetrate much more readily than round ones and are to be prefer
 red when the grain is cut green or
 when conditions for curing are not favorable. If long shocks are capped properly, they protect the grain from weathering quite as well as round shocks. Grain that is wet from dew or rain should be allowed to dry before 1t is shocked. In sections where strong winds prevail during the harvest seas on capping is not advisable, as the caps blow off and the cap sheaves may be injured by contact with the ground.
 A good round shock may be built by first setting up two bundles with the flat sides facing, the heads togeth- CT, and the butts few inches apart. These bundles should be jammed down hard into the stubble, so that they will stand firmly. Then set another bun dle at each end of this pair. so that there will be four in TOW. Next set one in the middle of each side. This leaves at each of the four corners a space in which a bundle should be placed. There are now ten bundles in the shock, which is about the right number. If the grain is very dry. a few more bundles may be set around the shock where they seem to fit best. When the desired number of bundles is set up, the shock should be capped. One or two bundles may be used in capping, depending on the length of the straw and the dryness of the grain.
 
 through the shock, while two caps af- ford greater protection from rain. The cap bundle is broken by supporting it with the butts on one knee and with one forearm and hand under it at the band while the straw at each side is broken over just above the band with the other hand. The straw of about half a bundle is broken to the right with the right hand; then the hands are reversed and the remainder of the bundle is broken to the left with the left hand.
 Long shocks may be built by setting up two bundles with the flat sides fac ing, the tops together, and the butts several inches apart to allow circula- ton of air between them. The next pair of bundles should be set up along side the first in the same way, with the tops leaning slightly toward the first pair. The shock is completed by set ting another pair at each end and then placing single bundles with the fiat s.Ces in the opening between each end pair. If desired, more than ten bun dies may be placed in long shocks. In cappiDg long shocks the first bundle should be put on with the butts point ing in the direction from which the prevailing winds come and covering the heads of the bundles in that end of the shock as completely as possible. The second cap should then be laid on the other end of the shock in the same manner, with the heads overlapping those of the first. Two bundles will cover an ordinary long shock with con- siderable overlap. but if the shock is very large more than two caps may be Ineeded.
 Stacking.
 Whether oats should be stacked or allowed to remain in. the shock until they are thrashed depends very largely on local conditions. If they can be "A A.