182 



ARID AGRICULTURE. 



TIME TO 



HARVEST 



WHEAT 



WHEAT AS 

 FEED 



begin to shoot, that is, when the first stems begin 

 to be thrown up. Another irrigation should be 

 given after the heads are formed to insure large 

 heads and filling of the grain. If the weather 

 is very dry and hot, cars must be taken with late 

 irrigations of wheat, because if kept too wet at 

 this time it might induce rust to cause consider- 

 able damage. Where the straw is badly rusted 

 it seldom produces plump wheat and if rust is 

 present it is probably better to keep the water off. 

 Some farmers in the southwest believe that the 

 shattering of the grain may be largely prevented 

 by giving late irrigation. This is true because 

 the grain does not get so ripe. In many cases 

 late irrigation may result in damage by frost. 



Wheat should be harvested before it gets too 

 ripe. Experience indicates that the best results 

 are obtained by cutting wheat in the last part of 

 the dough stage. Such grain usually ripens in 

 the straw and makes heavier seed. Harvesting 

 early prevents loss by shattering. East of the 

 mountains it is w r ell to allow the bundles to stand 

 in the shock for some time to go through the 

 sweat and dry out before stacking. 



If properly fed wheat has been shown equal 

 to corn for fattening stock. Some successful 

 feeders in the West head their wheat and feed it 

 to stock without threshing. This is one of the 

 best methods of feeding wheat, as it is not so apt 



