CEREAL CULTIVATION GREAT PLAINS 373 



will pay a little more for the stack-thrashed wheat. The 

 process of sweating has never been satisfactorily explained. 

 It is known that after cutting, reserve foods continue to be 

 stored in the kernels from the straw, which is usually still 

 a little green. The heat developed in this continued 

 process, together with the moisture evaporated, may 

 constitute the sweating. If the wheat is thrashed before 



FIG. 118. Thrashing winter wheat in Texas Panhandle. 



sweating, chemical action may continue within the ker- 

 nels, causing sweating in the bin. The sweating process 

 is more severe and occurs quicker as the grain is greener 

 at harvesting time, or more moist. Sufficient heat may 

 thus be evolved even in the stack to produce " stack- 

 burnt " wheat. It is more likely to be injured in the bin, 

 however, as there is there less circulation of air. Milling 

 tests of shock-thrashed and stack-thrashed wheat have 



