. The American farmer. A hand-book of agriculture for the farm and garden ... Agriculture. 74 FARMER'S HAND-BOOK. quently left in so loose a state by the winter frosts, that the roots are thrown O0t of the ground, and perish. Hoeing is performed when the row-culture is adopted, to pulverize the intervals between the rows, and to check the growth of weeds. Cutting and Harvesting. — The grain should be cut immediately after the lowest part of the stalk becomes yellow, while the grain is yet in the dough state, and easily compressible between the thumb and finger. If cut at this time, it will yie
. The American farmer. A hand-book of agriculture for the farm and garden ... Agriculture. 74 FARMER'S HAND-BOOK. quently left in so loose a state by the winter frosts, that the roots are thrown O0t of the ground, and perish. Hoeing is performed when the row-culture is adopted, to pulverize the intervals between the rows, and to check the growth of weeds. Cutting and Harvesting. — The grain should be cut immediately after the lowest part of the stalk becomes yellow, while the grain is yet in the dough state, and easily compressible between the thumb and finger. If cut at this time, it will yield more in measure and weight, and a larger quan- tity of sweet, white flour. If early cut, a longer time is required for curing, before storing or threshing. The latter operation is usually done, by extensive wheat-growers, with a large machine, taken into the field, and driven by horse-power; with moderate farmers, a small single or double horse-machine, or hand-threshing in winter. If the grain is perfectly ripe, and the straw thoroughly dried, and the sheaves free from grass or weeds, wheat may be cut and stacked or housed the same day. It must, however, be effectually cured in the fields. To save it from wetting, some farmers lay it in the form of a cross, surmounted with a sheaf so disposed as to throw off any slight showers that may fall; others place it in shocks, the sheaves two and two, standing on their butts, the heads of the sheaves inclined to each other, and the tops spread out so as to shield the standing sheaves as much as possible ; others, again, place ineir wheat in the same position as the last, with the exception that all of the shock is left standing, and no sheaves are placed over the heads. Un- less very dry, it should be laid on scaffolds, when taken into the bam, to prevent heating and moulding. When placed in a stack, it should be well elevated from the ground, and, if the stack be large, a chimney of lattice oi Fig. Please note that these ima
Size: 1755px × 1423px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
