384 THE WHEAT CULTURIS,T. 



How to Mow Sheaves of Wheat. 



There are two modes in vogue of mowing away 

 sheaves of wheat, colloquially called the "Yankee mode" 

 and the "Dutch fashion." When sheaves are mowed 

 according to the Yankee mode, a course of bundles is 

 laid around the outside of the mow, with the butts out- 

 ward. Then another course of sheaves is laid inside 

 of this first course, with about half the length of the 

 sheaves lapping on the course beneath. The old way 

 is to lap the butts of the second course on the first course 

 of sheaves, and thus continue to work round and round 

 until one course laid in the middle covers the surface 

 of the mow. In some instances the tops of the sheaves 

 are lapped on the first course, instead of the butts. 



Those who practise this manner of mowing their grain 

 aver that when the butts are placed outward, rats and 

 red squirrels find it more difficult to work into the mid- 

 dle of the mow than when the sheaves are not mowed 

 in the foregoing manner. But experience proves that 

 if such animals have access to a mow of grain, they will 

 destroy as much grain when one style of mowing is prac- 

 tised as another. When a barn is not entirely rat-proof, 

 or when a stack is not placed on a platform beyond the 

 reach of rats, it is folly to think of mowing such ma- 

 rauders out of the middle of a stack or mow. 



The Dutch manner of mowing is to lay courses of 

 sheaves back and forth entirely across the mow, letting 

 the tops of each course overlap about half of the sheaves 

 of the preceding course. This manner of mowing sheaves 

 is decidedly preferable to the practice cf laying the 

 courses round and round, until one sheaf will finish in 

 the middle of the mow. This Dutch system has every- 



