THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



5-87 



during which rust made iis appearance in several , near negroes' quarter,^, of IG acres, while turkey 

 poriioiis ol' the crop ; hui, as lar as could then be »heat, alier oai lallow ; crop here very heavy, 

 judged, not lo an exleni iikfly to prove very se- portioiiu^ul' it nsucli lodged, and some injured by 

 rious. |iust. From 32 to 30 cradles were employed. Of 



I will here add a daily journal ol' our harveer 

 operations, which will |)erhaps best show what 

 were the hopes and lears induced during this in- 

 teresting operation, and which you may either in- 

 clude or omit as you may judge proper. 



June 2-lih. Ai hi'lf past 7 A. M., commenced 

 wheal harvest, on Upper Quarter, with 27 cradles, 

 (he necessary gleaners and a sufficient number ol' 

 hands lor shocking. Wheat sufficiently ripe, and 

 presenting a liair crop generally; some of it hea- 

 vy; all on lallowed land; wheat, mountain pur- 

 ple straw. Progress, alier getting over the usual 

 delays ot' a beginning, satislactory ; weather 

 warm, moderated by a gentle breeze I'rocn the 



JUSt. 



ilie 56 acres reaped lo day, Irom its generally su- 

 perior growl li, there may reasonably be expected 

 an average yield ol li'om 25 to 30 bushels per 

 acre ; the ajipeaiance ol' the grain is good. The 

 weather ihroughout the day has been most favor- 

 able lur our operations; /or three hours in the 

 evening, very lioi. The laborers, however, stood 

 iheir very hard labor well, and in good spirits. 

 The weather has now Ibrtunately become pro- 

 mising and lavorable, and 1 hope may continue 

 so until we flnish. 



29ih. liegan reaping this morning at 6unrise, 

 on Upper Quarter, lallow field, purple straw 

 wheal; irom 37 lo 40 cradles employed. Wheat 



south. Evening slightly clouded ; increase oljolthis day's reaping rather light, but quality o{ 

 wind ; indications of rain. 



25lli. A shower ol' rain early in the morning, 

 prevented our resuming reaping until hall past 8 

 A. M. Wheat still d imp and unfit tor shoL-kinir. 

 Twenty-seven cradles employed. Wiih the ex- 

 ception of about two hours in the evening, the 

 entire day, from frequent showers and continued 

 cloudy weather, was highly unfavorable lor hai 



grain apparently guod ; all shocked up. The 

 weather lo-day lias been clear and warm ; a lew 

 hours very hot. Laborers suHered considerable 

 inconvenience in consequence ; lour reapers be- 

 came unwell and unable to work during a portion 

 ol the evening, three of ihem hirelings who be- 

 gan this morning. A large portion of ground 

 tias been gone over lo-day, I think not less than 



vest operations, causing several protracted delays. 90 acres, ail of it less or more injured by rust, yet 



The wheat cut to day was chiefly the white tur- 

 key, on corn land at Kowe, and the earliest sown. 

 A portion of this was a heavy growth, the larger 

 proportion a medium crop, the sample of grain 

 good, straw generally short. Rust hiid slighily 

 injured a small portion in a bottom, where ihe 

 wheat was not so fully naatured. Only a small 

 portion of this day's reaping has been shocked 

 up. A heavy shower slopped all work about 

 half an hour before sunset; night wealiier still 

 clouded and threatening. 



26th. Started reaping tlii-^ morning at half past 

 8 o'clock. Having added our ploughing force ul 



15 hands lo aid in harvest operations, the number ! considerably 



the grain looks plump and good. Wheal now 

 very ripe. A gale of wind would now do seriou3 

 injury lo the larger propor ion of our uncut 

 wlieat. And nearly all is luily ripe, and is the 

 cause of much uneasiness, as ii ripens liister than 

 it can be cut down, rapid as is uur progress. 



30ih. Thirty-three to thirty- eight cradles em- 

 ployed lo-day. Finished reaping at Upper Quar- 

 ter early ihis morning, and resumed reaping white 

 turkey wheat on Rowe lot ; the crop here excel- 

 lent. The whole of this day's reaping very ripe, 

 and all i-hocked up as reaped. The weather all 

 day clear, dry and very warm ; laborers suffered 



of reapers were increased to 33 cradles, and to 

 aid in shocking, were frequently reduced to 27, in 

 order to avoid wheat getting wet Irom passing 

 showers. Operations of this day were confined 

 to turkey wheat on fallowed land at Rowe. The 

 crop apparently excellent, much of it of very hea- 

 vy growth; the sEim pie of grain also looks well. 

 A considerable space of ground has this day been 

 gone over. Wheat fully ripe; all shocked as 

 reaped. The whole of the crop is now ripening 

 rapidly ; probably not less than 300 acres are now 

 fully ripe. The weather continues extremely un- 

 favorable lor harvesting this valuable crop, and 

 causes deep anxiety as to the saliity both of what 

 is reaped, (a portion of which is not yet shocked,) 

 and that which is yet standing. Add to this that 

 where not fully matured, wheat is becoming t-e- 

 riously affected by rust ; and if this unfavorable 

 stale of weaiher should continue, the most serious 

 injury is in many respects to be apprehended. 



27th. Sunday. First half of this day, continued 

 showers. Cleared off' at noon ; evening clear, with 

 a good drying breeze. 



28th. Morning, slight dew ; resumed reaping at 

 sunrise on Brickhouse lot, fallow, of 20 acre? ; 

 purple straw wheat ; crop very heavy. Reaped 

 also House lot of 20 acres, after corn ; purple 

 at raw; crop here also good, but seriously affected 

 by rust. Reaped also that portion of the crop 



Hussey's reaping machine was received early 

 this morning, accompanied by himself, and after 

 some little delay was got into operation about 3 

 P. M., and after a short trial and some experi- 

 ence on the part of the laborers and teams em- 

 ployed, performed its work beautifully. Cleaner 

 reaping I have never seen. That portion of the 

 crop, on which this first trial was made, was of a 

 lair medium growth, (our heaviest wheat having 

 been nearly all reaped,) in which, inclading seve- 

 ral delays fiom the awkwardness of the hands 

 employed, it very nicely reaped fully at the rate of 

 one acre per hour, laying the wheat in nice and 

 handsome sheaves lor binding. All the opera- 

 tions connected with reaping it performed infinite- 

 ly belter than that done by the cradles. 



July Ist. Began reaping on fallow wheat on 

 Rowe; 34 cradles employed. Nearly all of the 

 wheat of this day's reaping has been rather light, 

 lor two hours in the evening the growth was hea- 

 vy. The whole would average a fair crop; qua- 

 lity of grain good. A quantity of wheat remain- 

 ed at night unshocked. The whole very ripe and 

 liable to very serious injury, in the event of rain 

 or high wind. Our harvest operations are now 

 I hastily drawing to a close. The weather to-day 

 1 has been very fine, though very warm ; towards 

 : night elighily clouded and rather cooler. 

 I Hussey's rea|)ing machine was again started 



