v. HEAT il 1.11 RE. 275 



returns are obtained from these early-sown crops, 1 > it good hay crops are 

 also obtained from them. It. will be seen thai the Parmer is practically 

 assured of ;i profitable crop whatever the season may be. 



The seed, which should be " bluestonnd," is generally planted about 2 

 inches deep with the disc di ill ; on the whole, in this somewhal moisl district , 

 it can be a bit shallower than in very warm districts. Th« quantity of seed 

 used varies with the time of sowing, and may be besl indicated in the 

 following table : — 



April. May. June July. August 



lb. lb. 



SO fid 



In all cases, if the crops are expressly intended for hay, the sowing should 

 be a little heavier. As a rule it is not advisable under New England condi 

 tions to feed off' wheat, unless very prolific growth occurs early in the season. 



Methods of Harvesting. 



The methods of harvesting grain in New England are very different front 

 those of the drier western districts. The straw is too tough to strip as the 

 wheat of the west is stripped, and moreover, it is invaluable as feed for stock 

 during the winter, and the dry spells that occur from time to time. Even 

 dry stock have to be fed during such times, and the straw must be saved or 

 losses are likely to be heavy. Thousands of livestock were lost in the last 

 drought which could have been saved had the supply of straw been larger, 

 and those farmers fared best who had kept stacks of straw and hay beyond 

 all seemingly probable requirements. 



The soil, too, is not even enough in quality for the stripper or combined 

 harvester, and some patches ripen earlier than others, while heavy dews would 

 often prevent operations until late in the day. 



Hence it comes about that it is the older machinery — the reaper and 

 binder and the threshing machine — that are used to deal with the grain crop, 

 and though it must be admitted that the operation is a more costly one than 

 highly specialised machinery has made it in the west, the larger yields and 

 the greater value of the straw,. make it worth while. 



Taking the average season, wheat grown in New England will never have 

 the milling quality of that raised in the drier districts, but there are not 

 lacking indications that a larger area will be devoted to the crop in the 

 future, and probably (as varieties and methods improve) with a wider margin 

 in favour of the grower, and certainly with higher yields than the average 

 of the State. 



The stage at which wheat is cut is of considerable importance. The quicker 

 grain ripens the better the flour strength ; slow ripening produces a soft 

 wheat of reduced value or milling purposes. Under New England conditions, 

 cutting with reaper and binder, and allowing the grain to mature in the 

 stook before threshing, actually aids the production of a better quality grain. 

 It is preferred on this farm to cut the wheat in the dough stage, and allow it to 

 " make " or mature in he stook, or the result is a far better milling wheat and 

 an attractive translucent grain. Cutting with the reaper and binder actually 

 favours some varieties of wheat. Tn other districts, for instance, Florence 



