CHAPTER XVIII 



HARVESTING, MARKETING, AND UTILIZING 



WHEAT 



Harvesting. While some have advocated cutting wheat green, 

 it is now generally agreed that wheat should be well ripened to secure 

 maximum yield. As the roots and lower part of the stems appear to 

 die first, there probably is no loss if cut when the upper stems are 

 slightly green. Disadvantages of overripeness in humid climates are : 

 (1) wheat shatters more; (2) in the hard wheats, overripe wheat 

 will have more " yellow " berries, which injures the milling value. 



On the Pacific Coast wheat is allowed to stand several weeks after 

 ripe. This is possible because there is no rain during this season. 

 Varieties are used that experience has shown will stand up for so long 

 a time and that are also non-shattering. This makes possible the 

 use of the combined harvester and thresher, the whole operation being 

 completed in the field. 



Shocking. Where grain is to be hauled to the barn, as is the 

 universal custom in the Eastern States, or stacked at once it is 

 desirable to have rather small and loose- shocks, so the grain will cure 

 out rapidly. In such cases it is even doubtful whether the shock 

 should be covered with a cap, unless the harvest season is rainy. 



When the grain is to be threshed from the shock and may remain 

 in the field for two or more weeks, considerable skill is required to 

 make good shocks that will not blow over and will also shed rain. In 

 this case the shocks should be rather large, 12 to 16 bundles, and two 

 cap sheaves. Round shocks with the heads well drawn in will be 

 better than long shocks. Generally, grain shocks are very poorly 

 put up, but a good, large, well-made shock will stand for several weeks 

 and suffer little damage to the grain. 



Threshing from Shock or Stack. If the weather is dry and 

 the grain can be threshed at once from the shock without exposure to 

 rain, the grain will be secured in good condition. Exposure to rain, 

 however, will ordinarily cause loss in both quality and yield, In 

 Minnesota data have been colleQtecl showing that it costs about one 

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