THE WHEAT CULTTJRIST. 375 



to make the tops of the cocks of such shape that the 

 wooden caps would fit well, and not be blown off, even 

 by high winds. At times, where there is but little to 

 do, such caps might be made and painted with coal tar, 

 to prevent the shingles shrinking and swelling by the 

 action of showers and sunshine. 



If four feet in length should not be of the right length, 

 they can be made five or six feet long ; and several caps 

 can be put on a long shock. 



CLOTH GRAIN CAPS How TO MAKE THEM. 



As there is so much uncertainty about having fair 

 weather during the days of harvest, grain caps, or hay 

 caps, for covering shocks of grain in stormy weather, 

 seem to be almost an indispensable requisite to success- 

 ful agriculture. Indeed, I think that grain caps are for 

 more important than a mowing-machine, or a reaper. 

 If I could have but one of the two, I should consider it 

 most economical to purchase a hundred dollars' worth 

 of hay caps, rather than a mower and reaper. The 

 chief reason why they have not been introduced more 

 generally is, the expense of procuring the material for 

 making them. Besides this, few farmers really under- 

 stand and appreciate the eminent value and advantage 

 of such appendages. I think, that if a farmer who has 

 been accustomed to secure his crops without grain caps, 

 will employ them during a wet season, he would ever 

 after be unwilling to dispense with their use. When a 

 farmer has a crop of grain ready to be garnered, and the 

 clouds pour down torrents of rain, so that every sheaf 

 would be wet through and through, and many of them 

 have to be unbound before the grain could be dried, I 



