WHEAT 



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or floods may ruin it. Smut, or rust, or insects may 

 devour it. The farmer has more risks to run in 

 growing wheat than in almost any other farm crop, 

 yet mankind is willing to pay extra for wheat bread. 

 Harvest Home. In most regions wheat must be 

 harvested very promptly, or much of the crop may 

 be damaged or lost. Before good machinery was 

 invented it was a very toilsome task to gather the 

 wheat crop. So much hard work had been put into 

 it and such a long time had gone by since the grain 

 was sowed that the farmer was always anxious at 

 harvest time to reap his crop and pay his expenses. 

 At the close of the season the people held great 

 rejoicings, called in England ** harvest home.** 

 They formed a procession, with music, to bring 

 home the last sheaves of grain. The workers and 



Fiu. 72. CutLiny wheal with a cradle. 



