The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-15
Secretary MohIer Is AGAINST
Practice of Wheat Shocking.
Says Grain Is Saved by Stack
ing It Instead.
ALSO IMPROVES THE QUALITY
Raises More Than Any Other
Political Unit of World.

Kansas will dump approximately
one-seventh of the country's entire
wheat production into the nations
bin this year, according to ]. c. Moh-
Ter. secretary of the state board of
agriculture. Kansas produces more
hard winter wheat than any other
political unit In the world and 1t has
no rival in the quality of its bread
stuffs. The Kansas product has q
worldwide reputation" The secre-
tary made these points in q state
ment issued to farmers on the amount
of grain lost annually by waste ana
damage after the crop has been pro-
duced, and cautf0ning them that de-
creasing this loss depends largely up
on their preserving the quality of the
grain after nature has done its part
This. he said, is necessary II the stand
ard of Kansas wheat Is to be upheld
and If the state is to enjoy the full
fruits of the reputation it has SO just
ly earned"
Farmer interested in Saving.
With threshing of Kansas golden
harvest already under way in some
southern localities and about ready
to begin in most other sections of the
state, the farmers interest turns to
saving every possible kernel of his
grain, Secretary MohIer continued. His
prescribed remedy for reducing vast
age or avoiding it entirely is to stack
Farmers should break away from
the wasteful habit of shocking the
grain, thus eliminating in a large
measure the hundreds of bushels of
every crop that are lost" Mohler says.
TN late years the habit of thresh-
ing out OF the shock has grown re-
markedly, even tho comparatively lit
tie can be separated by the time it
q "hafaVaP n
this practice, it is a most wasteful
method Exposed to weather, every
rain or dew makes the grain lighter
and Injuries its color. Wheat standing
in the shock for a month or more, as
it not infrequently does. will lose three
to four pounds per bushe1 in weight
and depreciate in grade. 1t is said by
experienced men that 1t Is not uncofn-
mon to lose enough grain because of
birds, Vernin. winds, sun and rains
and in bleaching and shattering of
grain when standing in the shock wait
ing for threshers, to pay for stacking
several crops. In addition, stacking
is at least q partial solution to the
Farmer.
Cheapest and Best Storage.
'"rhe cheapest and best storage, is
on the farm in stacks. The man
who stacks his grain Is in many ways
master of the situation. If money is
neeQeQs bankers everywhere Will loan
on stacked wheat that is insured.
Aside from the saving of grain and
the preservation OF quality, there are
many other advantages to be derived
from stacking. Passing thru the
sweat in the stack improves color
and quality, which so largely deter
mine grade. and also promotes clean
err separation. Not so many men are
needed in threshing. 1t assists in the
conservation of straw. 1t clears the
fields, permitting their cultivation or
use as pasture and enables the farm
er to do urgent work that otherwise
would be neglected.
with the crop off the ground, the
land may be prepared early for wheat
again the next fall, and this practice
favors better yields. as has been thoro-
ly demonstrated.
what is saved by stacking ought
to more than pay the cost of storing
in that way. Stacked grain will keep
perfectly for an indefinite period. It
may be safely stacked before it is dry
enough to thresh. If stacking is a.
lost art, it is one that should be per-
manentiy revived"