1860. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



399 



ing the food of the horse. When this is supplied 

 in the case of feeding with carrots, both the hay 

 the horse ?ats and the provender is more easily 

 and more thoroughly digested. 



We all know that horses that labor hard, 

 whether in slow or quick draft, must have more 

 concentrated feed than hay, in order to keep up 

 their strength and animation. Still it will not 

 do to feed them wholly on concentrated feed. 

 Their stomachs and digestive organs were made 

 to receive and digest bulky food, like that of grass, 

 hay, straw and the like, and they cannot do with- 

 out it. In order, therefore, to insure the best of 

 health, they must have fibrous or bulky matter to 

 give that distension to their stomachs their na- 

 ture requires, and this, as a matter of course, 

 must depend upon the size of the horse, or on the 

 size of the stomach and digestive organs. Hence 

 a strictly definite answer to the question, how 

 much hay for a horse ? must be answered by each 

 individual horse for himself. — Maine Farmer. 



CUTTDSTG AND CURING GEAIN. 



Experiments have pretty well settled the fact 

 that wheat should be cut while the grain is in the 

 state called doughy. The conclusion was, indeed, 

 reached several years since in regard to wheat, 

 but it has, by the experiments of Voelcker, been 

 clearly shown to be applicable to oats ; and it is 

 also known to be equally applicable to Indian 

 corn. At first, it was feared by some that there 

 would be a great shrinkage of the grain cut in 

 this stage, which would amount to absolute loss. 

 It is proved, however, that the sap of the stems of 

 straw is sufficient to perfect the grain, and that 

 the grain, under such circumstances even pos- 

 sesses some valuable properties which it has not 

 when it remains uncut till dead ripe. 



Mr. Colman states that he found by many in- 

 quiries in England that thf) "best rule for har- 

 vesting is not when the stalk below the head has 

 changed color, and the circulations have conse- 

 quently ceased, but when the grain, though it has 

 ceased to yield any milk upon pressure, is yet 

 soft." The advantages of cutting at this stage 

 arc briefly given as follows : "Wheat cut early af- 

 fords more grain, yields less bran, makes better 

 flour, wastes less in gleaning, gives better straw, 

 and enables the farmer to do the work more lei- 

 surely." 



C. W. Johnson, in the Farmer's Encyclopcedia, 

 observes — "Grain, if not reaped until the straw 

 is wholly yellow, will be more than ripe, as the 

 ear, generally, except in the late seasons, ripens 

 before the entire of the straw, and it is observa- 

 ble that the first reaped usually afl'ords the heavi- 

 est and fairest sample. The indications of ripe- 

 ness in wheat are few and simple. When the straw 

 exhibits a bright golden color, from the bottom of 

 the stem nearly to the ear, or when the ear be- 

 gins to bend gently, the grain may be cut. But 

 as the whole crop will not be equally ripe at the 

 same time, if, on walking through the field and 

 selecting the greenest heads, the kernels can be 

 separated from the chaff when rubbed through 

 the hands, it is a sure sign that the grain is then 

 out of its milky state, and may be reaped with 

 safety ; for although the straw may be green to 

 some distance downwards from the ear, yet if it be 

 quite yellow from the bottom upwards, the grain 



then wants no further nourishment from the 

 earth, and if properly harvested will not shrink. 

 These tokens will be found to suflficiently indicate 

 the ripeness of wheat, barley and oats ; but that 

 of rye arises from the straw losing some of its 

 golden hue, and becoming paler." 



Some of the most valuable experiments which 

 have been reported on this subject, are those of 

 Mr. Hannam, in the 12th and 13th volumes of 

 the Quarterly Jouriml of Afjricidture. The trials 

 were made under his own direction, and Avith 

 great care. He cut samples of wheat at five dif- 

 ferent times, as follows : 



No. 1, was cut a month before fully ripe. 

 " 2, " three weeks " " 

 " 3, " two weeks " " 



" 4, " two daj's " " 



" 5, " when fully ripe. 



Of these lots, 100 pounds of grain of each 

 yielded as follows : 



No. Flour. Seconds. Bran. 



1 75 pounds 7 pounds 17 pounds. 



2 7S " 7 " 16 " 



3 80 " 5 " 13 " 



4 77 " 7 " 14 « 



5 72 " 11 « 15 " 



Thus it appears that No. 3, which was cut two 

 weeks before it was fully ripe, was superior to the 

 other lots ; giving more per bushel than No. 5, 

 (cut when fully ripe,) by 6;^ pounds of flour, and 

 a gain of about fifteen per cent, on the flour of 

 equal measure of grain ; 100 pounds of wheat of 

 N^o. 3, makes 80 pounds of flour, while 100 j)ounds 

 of No. 5, yields 72 — showing an average of eight 

 per cent, in favor of No. 3. In grinding, it Avas 

 found that No. 5 ground the worst — worse than 

 No. 1. There were in No. 5 a greater quantity of 

 flinty particles which would not pass the bolt, 

 than in any of the other lots. The bran from No. 

 5 was also much thicker and heavier than that of 

 No. 3. 



Mr. Hannam concludes, therefore, that in cut- 

 ting wheat two weeks before it is fully ripe, there 

 is a gain of fifteen per cent, of flour upon equal 

 measures, a gain of fourteen per cent, in the 

 weight of straw, and a gain of 7s. Gd. sterling in 

 the value of every quarter (560 lbs.) of wheat. 

 Many trials have been made in this country in 

 cutting wheat at various stages, and the results 

 agree, generally, with those above given. 



But when grain is cut before it is ripe, it is 

 necessary that it sliould undergo a process of cur- 

 ing, before it can be safely stored in the barn or 

 stack. Hence it is usual to ])lace the sheaves in 

 shock for several days, according to the state of 

 weather, or the degree of moisture in the straw. 

 But it sometimes happens that loss is occasioned, 

 more or less, by the sprouting of the grain while 

 it stands in shock — especially in warm, showery, 

 or damp weather. To guard, as well as possible, 

 against loss from this cause, the shocks should be 

 put up in the best manner. — Albany Cultivator. 



United States Agricultural Society. — 

 The annual exhibition of this Society will be held 

 at Cincinnati, commencing Sept. 12, and contin- 

 uing to the 20th. The premium list amounts to 

 $20,000. No cattle will be received on account 

 of the pleuro-pneumonia disease, but large pre- 

 miums will be oflered for horses, machinery, 

 steam fire-engines, &c. 



