WHEAT. • 127 



ends in Dakota and Washington in August. In Cali- 

 fornia the harvest begins about June 1st and lasts till 

 August 1st. Everywhere east of the great plains 

 wheat is cut as soon as, or a little before, it is ripe, 

 and the harvest extends on any one farm not longer 

 than two or three weeks, the wheat being cut as fast 

 as it is ready. In California, where there is no dan- 

 ger from storms, the harvest extends for many weeks 

 after the wheat is ripe, some of it standing eveD ten 

 weeks after it is ripe enough to cut. 



The usual practice in the eastern half of the United 

 States is to cut when the straw begins to turn yellow 

 and the kernels in the dough, soft enough to be easily 

 indented with the thumb nail and hard enough not to 

 be easily crushed between the fingers. 



Investigations indicate . that there is a continuous 

 increase of the plant during its growth- until the plant 

 is entirely ripe. There is a continuous increase in the 

 weight of the kernel from the time it is formed until 

 it is hard and dry. The increase in weight of kernel 

 is most rapid up to the time when the kernel can be 

 crushed between the thumb and finger. The increase 

 seems to be decided and of economic importance up 

 to the time when the kernels indent but do not crush 

 under the pressure of the thumb nail. After that 

 time the increase is slight. 



It has been proven beyond question that at the 

 earlier stages of seed formation a considerable trans- 

 fer of material from the straw to the kernel may occur 

 after cutting, if the wheat is placed in condition simi- 

 lar to the shocking and capping of bound sheaves. So 

 far as getting the maximum yield is concerned, the 

 results indicate that it is better to allow the wheat to 



