^HOCKIl^G WHEAT 



143 



to rain and dew after it is ripe, it loses this desirable bright- 

 ness. On this account it is the usual practice to shock 

 wheat as soon as it is cut and to cap the shocks so that a 

 large portion of the heads will be protected from the weather 

 and thus retain the bright color of the kernels. 



There are two 

 types of shocks well 

 adapted to the pro- 

 tection of wheat. 

 The one known as 

 the 9-bundle round 

 shock is made by set- 

 ting up a pair of bun- 

 dles and then setting 

 another pair so that 

 they lean against 

 opposite sides of the 

 first two. This will 

 make a 4-bundle 

 shock, one bundle at 

 each corner. The 



next four bundles are set against the first four, just filling 

 the open spaces between the bundles. The whole is then 

 capped with one bundle which is spread out at both the 

 top and butt ends to cover as much of the shock as possible. 

 Care must be exercised in placing the cap bundle that the 

 butt end does not extend out over the side of the shock so 

 that the wind can get under the bundle and blow it off. It 

 is not so likely to blow a bundle off the head end, because 

 the heads are heavy enough so that when the shock is set- 

 tled they will lie down against the shock. 



The other type of shock is known as the 12-bundle 

 shock. This is made by setting three pairs of bundles in a 

 row against one another, usually setting the long way of 

 the shock north and south; then the two open spaces on each 



Figure 57. — A well-built wheat shock which will 

 withstand storms and in which the grain is well 

 protected from weathering. 



