SMALL GRAINS 161 



Next the breaking process breaks the straw into very short 

 joints and removes some refuse material. The scutch- 

 ing process then follows. This is beating with paddles or 

 combing the fibre through revolving rollers and then through 

 comb-like rods. When thoroughly cleaned and sorted it 

 may be baled or may be spun into thread and woven into 

 cloth. 



Flax for fibre is a paying crop to grow where hand labor 

 is cheap; but it is because of the scarcity of such labor that 

 flax is so little grown in America. 



EXERCISE. Samples of Grains. Let pupils bring from 

 their homes or from their stores small samples of wheat, rye, 

 oats and barley. There may be poor and good samples in 

 the collection. These may be placed in bottles with suitable 

 labels. Extra fine samples may be secured by the teacher 

 for a school collection at local fairs or other expositions. 



EXERCISE. Heads of Grains. Make a collection for 

 the school of all the forms of heads of the different kinds 

 of grain that are grown near by. Preserve these in a bed of 

 cotton in shallow pasteboard boxes with glass over them, 

 seemed by binding strips (Fig. 83). A method of preparing 

 samples for school fairs is shown in figure 85. 



REVIEW. 



1. Tell what you can of the different types of wheat. 



2. Tell of the preparation of the soil and times for drilling in wheat. 



3. What is the legal weight of wheat? Why should seed wheat be 

 heavier, if possible? 



4. Describe the appearance of good seed wheat. 



5. What is a self-binder? What is a header? What is a thresher? 



6. WTiat are the chief uses for oats? 



7. Give directions for the seeding of oats. 



8. Name three types of barley. Which is most grown in America? 



9. Where may rye be grown? 



10. How does rye flour differ from wheat flour? 



11. What soils are suited to the growing of rye? 



12. Describe the use of rye as a green manure. 



References. U. S. Farmers' Bulletins: 424. Oats: Growing th? 

 Crop: 443, Barley; Also Nos. 466, 518, 596, 640, 678, 680, 704, 732, 738; 

 756, Rye; 793, Millet; 785, Flax; 786, Fall Grains. 



