GRAIN AND ITS CULTIVATION. I3 



will bo saved, and frequently a tolerable crop of grain 

 which partially matures after cutting ; while if suffered to 

 stand, both straw and grain will be almost totally lost. The 

 only preventives experience has hitherto found, are the selec- 

 tion of hardy varieties of grain which partially resist the 

 t'liecls of rust ; sowing on elevated lands where the air has a 

 free circulation ; the abundant use of saline manures, salt, 

 li.u<\ gypsum, and charcoal; the absence of recent animal 

 manures ; and early sowing which matures the plant before 

 the disease commences its attack. 



H VRVKSTING. The grain should be cut immediately after 

 the lowes: part of the stalk becomes yellow, while the grain 

 is yet in the dough state and is easily compressible between 

 the thumb and finger. Repeated experiments have demon- 

 strated that wheat cut then, will yield more in measure, of 

 heavier weight, and a larger quantity of sweet white flour. 

 If early cut, a longer time is required for curing before 

 threshing or storing. 



THRESHING is usually done among extensive farmers, with 

 some one of the large horse machines taken into the field. 

 The use of machines enables the farmer to raise some of the 

 choicest kinds of grain, whose propagation was limited before 

 their introduction, by the great difficulty of separating the grain 

 from the head. He can also push his wheat into the market 

 at once if the price is high, which is frequently the case im- 

 mediately after harvest ; and they save all expense and trou- 

 ble of moving, storing, loss from shelling, and vermin, inte- 

 rest, insurance, &c. For the moderate farmer, a small, single 

 or double horse machine, or hand threshing in winter where 

 there is leisure for it, is more economical than the 6 or 8 

 horse thresher. 



MOWING OR STACKING. When stored in the straw, the 

 grain should be so placed as to prevent heating or molding. 

 This can only be avoided, unless very dry before carrying 

 into the barn, by laying it on scaffolds where there is a free 

 circulation of air around and partially through it. If placed 

 in a stack, it should be well elevated from the ground ; and if 

 the stacks are large, a chimney of lattice or open work should 

 be left from the bottom running through the centre to the 

 top ; or a large bundle may be kept at the surface in the 

 centre, and drawn upwards as the stack rises, thus leaving 

 an opening from the bottom to the roof. Additional security 

 would be afforded by similar openings horizontally at suitable 

 intervals, so as to admit the air from one side to the other. 



