254 DRY LAND FARMING 



Harvesting. Barley should be harvested at an -early 

 stage of maturity, more especially when it is to be de- 

 voted to brewing uses. The best time at which to har- 

 vest the crop for such a use is when the stalk has turned 

 yellow for a few inches below the head, the heads having 

 assumed a yellowish tint, though still shaded with green. 

 Such early harvesting favors the bright color so much 

 desired by the brewers. This bright color is further 

 favored by the dry and bright character of the weather 

 that usually characterizes the harvest season. To secure 

 this color with barley grown in various localities that 

 are humid, bleaching must needs be resorted to. Vari- 

 eties for feeding should also be cut thus early, as, when 

 not cut early, the loss is usually quite material from the 

 breaking off of the heads. When cut for hay the crop 

 should be harvested when the grain is in the dough stage. 

 For such a use the beardless varieties have highest adap- 

 tation. 



The crop is cut with the harvester and is cured in 

 shocks, long or round, usually the latter, and from the 

 shocks it is drawn to the stack or threshing machine. 

 If the shocks are to remain for any. considerable time in 

 the field, they should be capped, especially the brewing 

 varieties, to prevent loss of the bright color through un- 

 due exposure. When stacked, the curing should be 

 complete before the grain is thus put up, lest musting 

 of the grain should follow from fermentation. Thresh- 

 ing is done in the usual way, that is, by using the grain 

 separator. Of course the saving in labor is very con- 

 siderable when this can be done from the shock. The 

 average yields are from 30 to 35 bushels per acre. 



GROWING OATS 



There is no food crop for live stock which is more 

 desirable to grow in dry areas than oats. In some of 

 their varieties they may be grown quite satisfactorily 



