The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1927-08-05
FARMERS USING COM
BINES SHOULD NOT
HARVEST TOO EARLY
GRAIN CONTAINING OVER 14%o
MOISTURE CANNOT BE STOR-
ED = WET GRAIN HEATS =
GRAIN DEALERS SERVE NO
TICE.

asking IudL IL ne given WluS puDllclt'
through these column to the end tina
greater saving be assured to farmer
and trouble saved elevators through
the handling of combine harveste
wheat:
To Subscribers:
Minneapolis, Mimi,
July q, 1927.
We have information that quite
a number of combination harvesting
and threshing machines have been
sold in North and South Dakota and
Montana, and that quite few more
viii be sold before tho crop is ready
for harvest.
This is a new departure in the
northwest spring wheat belt althO
the last few years an occasional
machine has been in use. These,
machines have been used with some
degree of success in the central part
of the U. S-Indiana and Illinois
and particularly in the southwest.
In all Of these states, of course,
practically all wheat is winter
wheat and from the very nature of
its planting and growth the spring
sOwn wheat offers an entirely diff
ferent harvesting and threshing
problem than winter wheat.
Winter wheat is planted in the
fall and in the spring it starts with
an even growth. and natures even
ly. In addition to this it does not
shell even when dead ripe and has
straw which stands up and does not
break over after it is dead ripe.
Winter wheat threshes easily with
out much wastage while, of course,
it is a well known fact that Mar
quis wheat especially is very diff
cult to thresh. As we all know the
spring wheat starts unevenly in the
same field and we have different
stages of a little different period
of maturity in each field, which
means as rule that quite a large
proportion Of the wheat heads are
Il little on the green side when cut
with a binder or header. These kerr
nels cure in the shock or stacl- and
the moisture which is still i'm the
wheat kernal from the milk stage
of development disappears. From
experiments made this form Of
moisture is very much more dan
gerOus form than rain or dew on
the berry after the berry has reach
ed full maturity and is cured either
standing in the field or in the
bundle.
in TIE southwest and central
states where the wheat is winter
wheat and more favorable to the
use Of the Combine, the hazard of
cutting wheat on the green side. is
fully understood and it is the gener-
al practice of elevator companies
to refuse to take wheat cut either
on the green side, cut with dew on
it or before the fields have dried
out after heavy rain. The eIeva-
tors have been forced to this stand
by heavy losses on account of the
heating Of grain before the cars ar
rived at the terminal. even though
rushed out Immediately. r.
We feel that the grain buyers
and the farmers of the northwest
where these Combines are used face
very grave problem in intelligent
ly handling combine grain. There
should be very active cooperation
between the farmer and the grain
buyor to the end that the farmer
does not cut his grain until it is
dead ripe; that he does not cut it
until the dew has disappeared, and
that he does not cut it too soon af-
ter heavy rain. also low green
spots shOpld be skipped and cut
when ripe. Evon with these pre-
cautions some losses viii be had
by the elevator companies handiing
combine grain, but with cO-Opera-
ton between the farmer and the
elevator these should be reduced to
a minimum.
Quite little has been said about
drying grain. The drying out of
grain at country points has not
been developed to a Doint where il
IS practical. They have tried il
out in the southwest with varyine
degrees of success. but they do moi
attempt to dry grain which has
been cut on the green side as they
have found it impractical. The
different Agricultural Experiment
Stations have been vitality interest.
ed II the problem OF combines anC
particularly the problem of handI.
ing the excess moisture which is 81
apt to be in combine grain and the,
have found the cheapest and most
efficient way of drying grain is II
the fields. Experiments in Kansa,
show that moisture in wheat rang
es from 17@o in the early cOmbin,
season down to 1879 later on. 7,
Canada they found the field wa,
the cheapest and most efficien
place to dry combine grain. tn,
moistu~r being reduced from 1870
= 1870 in four DAYS.
We would respectfully suooes
that you do not consider this lefte
as a criticism OF this method =
harvesting grain. The farmer ba
perfect right to harvest his oral
IN any way he sees fit. the elnva
tors have the same right to refus
to take it in If it is unfit for ware
housing or handling, and discoun
It u is has excess moisture. I'm
dOubtedly combines are going +
have very complete tryOut in til
northwest this season and the earl
er both the farmer OIL -