FOR BETTER CROPS IN THE SOUTH 51 



Continue the same method from year to year, always using the 

 best seed from the seed plat for seeding it again and the remain- 

 der of the seed for seeding the general crop. In this way no 

 seed is ever taken from the general crop, yet it is constantly 

 improved, and is better than imported seed. 



Harvesting— In harvesting both wheat and oats it is always 

 better to cut the grain a little early rather than late. Over- 

 ripe grain becomes bleached, or will lodge, or be damaged other- 

 wise. The heads should turn to yellowish white or golden color, 

 but the straw should yet remain a little green. A fair rule to 

 follow is to harvest when the kernel on being pinched between 

 the thumb and finger can be only slightly dented by the finger 

 nail. The grain should be fairly dry when cut, though a slight 

 amount of dew may not be an injury. Grain is sometimes cut 

 with a self-rake reaper or even occasionally with a mower, and, 

 in the latter case, left to dry awhile and then raked into wind- 

 rows and finally put in cocks. These methods, however, are 

 slow, expensive, wasteful, and likely to be damaging to the 

 grain. The best method of all, when possible to follow it, is to 

 cut with a self-binder, put the bundles into well-constructed 

 shocks soon afterwards; then, after curing a few days or a week, 

 put the bundles in a stack or in the barn. 



RYE and BARLEY are at present comparatively un- 

 important crops in the South. Considerable attention, how- 

 ever, has been given recently to the barley crop and it probably 

 should be grown considerably more than at present. Barley is 

 excellent for pasturage and good for feeding stock, particularly 

 hogs. All barley and rye should be sowed in the fall. Other 

 advice with respect to these two crops would be about the same 

 as that given for the cultivation of oats and wheat. 



