336 THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 



vent cutting being done on any fixed day is the occur- 

 rence of rain, but then, we must remember that our 

 grain ripens very little during wet or cloudy weather. 

 I have often found it to ripen more during one clear, 

 warm day after a rain, than during a whole week of 

 cloudy or showery weather. 



" At first glance it would seem that it was but natural 

 that the grain should be. allowed to become dead ripe 

 before cutting ; such would undoubtedly be the case if 

 the whole crop were intended for seed, as is the case in 

 a natural state of the plant ; but our object is to attain the 

 greatest possible percentage of flour with the least pos- 

 sible offal ; and not only this, but also to have this flour 

 as rich as possible in gluten. 



" All the experiments which have been tried, not only 

 here but in England, have clearly proven that there is a 

 certain stage of the growth of the grain at which it 

 yields the greatest proportion of flour, and that at this 

 time the flour contains a larger percentage of gluten 

 than at any time before or afterward. In order to more 

 fully understand this time, let us go back four weeks ; the 

 first two weeks will represent the time passing between 

 the green and raw state, and the last two, the time 

 which elapses between the raw and ripe state, and thus 

 divide the grain into three stages." 



Mr. Hannum instituted several experiments to ascer- 

 tain, if possible, the proper period to harvest the grain ; 

 and his experiments led him to believe that at " about a 

 fortnight before it fully ripens is the proper time for cut- 

 ting wheat, as the skin is then thinner, the grain fuller, 

 the bushel heavier, and the yield of flour greater." From 

 the report of the miller who ground these samples, it 

 seems that the lot cut raw made eight pounds more flour 



