The Carlisle independent., 1918-06-13


 weather, the best course to pursue de lpends on the relative cost of shock and |stack thraShing. Investigations show that stacking adds about one ito one and one-half cents bushel to the cost of producing oats. As thrashing outfits are often not available when they are wanted and as consequently the grain is likely to be injured by weathering, stacking is generally advisable, partic- ularly in the humid section.
 When grain is stacked, it is impor- tant that the stacks be well built. If the stacks are put up so carelessly that they will not shed water, the grain might better be allowed to stand in the shocks. The bottoms of the stacks should be raised from the ground slight | ly by laying down old rails or other ma terial to keep the straw from coming in contact with the earth, thus prevent ing the absorption of moisture from be low. The shape of the stack is less im- portant than the manner in which the bundles are laid, though round stacks 1 probably shed water better than the 1 long ricks sometimes built.
 Stacking should be begun as soon as the grain is well cured in the shock, cutting. Round stacks are usually about ten feet in diameter at the base. The usual plan is to build four stacks in setting, in pairs six feet apart.
 First build a large, round shock about eight feet in diameter. Then place two layers of bundles, one direct ly on top of the other, with the heads resting against the shock and the butts forming the ten-foot base of the stack. Make the next row with the butts just covering the bands of the other row. In the same manner lay rows of bundles, like shingles, until the center is reached, overlapping the rows a lit tie more toward the center of the stack. When the first layer is con- pleted, begin again at the outside and build toward the center. Shocked bundles have slanting butts, because they are set in the shock with a slight slant instead of exactly up- right. In building the outside rows around the stack lay the long edge of the butt on top and projecting beyond the lower bundle. In this way the di- ameter of the stack is gradually in- creased, forming the bulge. After height of seven or eight feet is reached lay the outer bundles with the long edge of the butt beneath and just GOV ering the inner edge of the layer just completed. In this way the diameter is gradually decreased and the stack is tapered slowly to point.
 Always keep the middle of the stack high and firmly tramped down. Do not tramp the outer layer at all. Keep ing the middle high gives all the bundles slant toward the outside and helps to shed rain. At the peak, where the bundles overlap, fasten a capsheaf securely by setting it on sharpened stake driven into the top of the stack. A well-built stack ten feet in diameter should be 20 to 25 feet high.
 Thrashing.
 As previously stated, it is cheaper to thresh directly from the shock if the work can be done while the grain is still in good condition. Thrashing from the shock is often subject to delay from rains, however, as the work must wait until the bundles are dry. This may mean the loss of one or even two or three days after heavy rains. On the other hand. if the grain is stacked, thrashing may be resumed almost as soon as the rain stops. Grain may be | thrashed from the shock either before | or after it has gone through the sweat. ] If it is thrashed before it goes through the sweat, it will sweat in the bin, but if it is dry-thrashed it will not be injured. If the grain is damp when likely to become hot and be damaged by bin burning. Stacked grain should be allowed to go through the sweat be fore it is thrashed.
 The separator should be we'll cleaned before thrashing is begun, particularly ! If it has come from a neighbours farm where different variety of oats is been thrashed. Cleaning the separator also prevents the bringing of weed seeds from other farms. The operation l of the machine should be watched I carefully to see that all the grain is removed from the straw. It is much easier to do clean job of thrashing when the grain is dry than when it is moist.
 The straw should be run into the mow, where is can be kept under cover or, if it must be stacked outside, the stack should be built carefully so that it will shed water. Oat straw is a valuable roughage for live stock, be- ing much better for this purpose than the straw of wheat or barley. It is also of value for bedding and the making