The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-06-21
TELLS OF WHEAT
Kansans Anxious To Get Great
est Return From Crop
Secretary Mohler Urges Farm
ers to Use Care in Handling.

With Kansas more than 5000, 900
acres OF wheat ready to cut or nearly
1 so, and some OF it already cut. the
question now before the farmer is
How can the gltatest returns be
realized from the wheat in harvesting.
threshing. storing and finally dispos-
ing of it on the market?"
Secretary J. C. Mohler. of the state
board of agriculture. attempts to an
swer this question from inquiries and
communicati tons received from wheat
growers all over the state a well as
from personal observations, in a state
ment just issued.
There is .,-obably no one thing
under the control of the wheat farm
ers that would pay better dividends
than TO use the utmost re in han
ding the wheat crop after it is pro-
duced, to prevent waste and damage"
declares Secretary Mohler. kansas
annually loses na1-y dollars after the
wheat crop is matured-in standing
too long in the shock. in poor stack
ing. in wastetul threshing. and dam
age in storage
Heat Damage Was Heavy.
Losses because of heat damage to
heavy, and more complaints were
lodged on this score than in any pre-
vious season to my recollection. An
effort was made to determine tho
apply a remedy. Replies to inquiries
sent to wheat growers indicated that
methods in harvesting should vary
much with conditions; thet all wheat
cannot be handled alike with the same
results A Russell county grower who
lost heavily from heat damage. placed
the blame on early cutting, poor
Judgment in stacking threshing and
improper srdling afterwards. He re-
ported that a wheat stack with prac-
tically all grain wheat in 1t requires
a longer time to go thru the sweat
than a stack containing mostly straw
Wheat heavy in grain and light in
straw should be stacked in narrow
stacks to aid it in drying out.
ITO guard against heat damage.
wheat should not be cut too early. 1t
should go into the stock dry and
should not be threshed when damp.
Special cars should be taken OF stor-
age.
Another cause Of damage, espe-
cially Of quality, last year was the
long delayed threshing Of wheat
standing in the shock. There is more
or less loss every year from this cause
for one reason or another. and about
the best precaution is to stack the ma
tured grain after it has fully matured
and the straw has dried out.
Wheat is often damaged by i'm
proper storage after threshing. An
experienced wheat grower of south
east Kansas recently said that two
thirds OF the wheat in that section
was damaged last year as a result of
being threshed damp. and also to
humid atmosphere just after being
binned. Putting old boxes, posts, old
lumber or dry sar / stones in the bins
while storing is recommended as a
safeguard against heat damage.
Secretary MohIer concluded his rec
omme ndations to Kansas farmers for
handling their wheat by warning
them against incompetent operators
of threshing machines and poorly
equipped machinery. He said thresh-
ermen admit that half a bushel or
more to the acre often would be
saved. If the threshing machine was
in charge of a qualified operator. He
recommended state inspection for
threshing machines