150 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



between May and September the price of wheat is 

 usually on the upward grade. 



But when the sample of cleaned seed-grain came 

 from John McLeay I was bitterly disappointed. It 

 is true that there were not so many wild oats as in 

 my own sample, but after the seed argument I felt 

 that there were far too many for desirable seed, and 

 said so to the man. 



" I guess every one in these parts has got wild 

 oats," said Roddy McMahon, " and there's bound 

 to be more this year than last because of what's 

 shelled on the land. Next year when eighty acres 

 is due to summer-fallow that's the time, I guess, to 

 clean 'em out." 



The process of pickling seemed simple enough. 

 Heriot Hylton-Cave fetched several pails of water 

 from the well whilst Roddy McMahon waited at 

 his ease on the doorstep. When sufHcient water had 

 arrived, a big paper packet of bluestone was dis- 

 solved and poured over the load of grain as it lay 

 on the granary floor. It was then well turned with 

 the shovel in order that all the grain should get the 

 benefit of the shower-bath. I learned that this 

 bath was necessary to destroy the parasite smut 

 which does much harm to grain, lowering the grade 

 as can no other enemy except frost. 



" I guess it will be all dried out by after dinner," 

 said Roddy McMahon. " And we can start seeding." 



Easter had intervened, and these preparations had 

 taken up three days, so that it was at midday on 

 April 17 that I drove the wagon with ten bushels of 

 seed-grain to the starting-point. Roddy McMahon 

 followed with the seeder. He emptied the contents 

 of a bag into the container, examined the feeders 



