CHAPTER V 

 THRESHING 



The Methods of Threshing. - The purpose in 

 threshing is to separate the grain from the straw. 

 The wheat of the harvest is left, as we have learned, 

 either loose or bound. If the binder is used, the 

 bundles are in shocks or in stacks ; if the header 

 is used, the product is stacked without binding. 

 In either case the grain is still in the heads, with 

 each kernel wrapped in its glumes. The harvest 

 product is largely straw as to bulk. Several dis- 

 tinct processes are involved in obtaining the 

 grain, but they are all included under the name 

 threshing. The products of threshing are the 

 wheat grain and the straw. The latter consists 

 of the stems, leaves, and the chaff which is made 

 up of glumes, beards, and small bits of other parts 

 of the plant. The work of separating these 

 products is accomplished in several ways as we 

 are to learn. 



Primitive Methods. - - When man first began to 

 use wheat he probably extracted the kernels by 

 hand, rubbing or crushing the heads between his 



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