222 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 





131 



first reaped usually affords the heaviest and fair- 

 est sample. The indications of ripeness 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 begins 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 down- 

 wards 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 proper- 

 ly harvested will not shrink. These tokens will be 

 found to sufficiently indicate the ripeness of wheat, 

 barley and oats ; but that of rye arises from the 

 straw losing some of its golden hue, and becom- 

 ing 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 Journal of Agriculture. The trials 

 were made under his own direction, and with 

 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 days " " 



" 5 " when fully ripe. 



Of these lots, 100 pounds of grain of each 

 yielded as follows : 



jVo. Flour. Seconds. 



1 75 pounds 7 pounds. 



2 76 " 7 " . 



3 80 " 5 " . 



4 77 ' 7 " . 



5 72 " 11 " • 



Bran. 

 .17 pounds. 

 .16 " 

 .13 " 

 .14 " 

 .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 

 No. 3 makes 80 pounds of flour, while 100 pounds 

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

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

 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. 



Wilson, in his Farm Crops, says the best indi- 

 cation of harvest time is given by the changed 

 color of the straw immediately below the head. 

 When this changes from green to yellow, which it 

 does before the body of the straw changes, the 

 circulation of the plant is arrested, and the head 

 can receive no more nourishment from the roots. 

 We know that it can derive none from the air, 



and therefore at this period must contain within it- 

 self all that is necessary for its perfection. If 

 this be admitted, then it is clearly the interest of 

 the farmer to run no further risk of injury from 

 change of weather, or other causes, and without 

 loss of time to cut it down, and get it safely 

 housed as soon as possible." 



It will be observed that Colman says, above, 

 that the best rule is in the condition of the seed. 

 We have been In the habit of judging by both 

 seed and appearance of the stem, — for when the 

 stem, just below the head, has turned slightly yel- 

 low, instead of retaining its former green color, 

 on testing the seed between the nails, it will gen- 

 erally be found to have just passed from the milky 

 to the doughy state. The difference, therefore, be- 

 tween these two high authorities is not material. 

 We hope that more attention than ever before will 

 be given to the matter, and that our correspon- 

 dents will give us the results of their observa- 

 tions. 



TALK ABOUT HAY-MAKING. 



Col. Hawks, of Deerfield, states that he prefered 

 to cut grass when two-thirds of it was in the blow. 

 Did not dry it as much as formerly. Hay can be 

 dried too much to pack or spend well. Likes to 

 have it green enough to retain its green tea smell 

 when opened in the winter. 



Mr. Lyman, of Northfield, cuts his hay one day 

 and gets it in the next. Wants it all cocked up 

 at night, and prefers to have it raked for this pur- 

 pose before 3 P. M., and in heaps when warm. 

 Likes to cart clover the second day. Can get 

 hay dry as he wants it, in one good day. 



Hon. Hugh Green, of Northfield, thought that 

 hay was dried too much in the sun and too little 

 in the shade. Dew bleaches and injures hay more 

 than many suppose. He not only gets his hay in 

 cocks early in the afternoon, but covers it with 

 cloth caps at night, whether it rains or not. 



Dea. Buffum, of Winchester, N. H., and Messrs. 

 Leverett and Hatch, of Keene, use hay caps 

 whether it rains or not. The former stated that 

 he usually cut his hay in the afternoon, cocked it 

 the next day, and the day following got it in. 

 Cattle do better on hay cut early. They will grow 

 and give more milk on such hay. First crop hay 

 gives nearly one-third more tallow than the sec- 

 ond crop. He weighs his cattle once a month 

 regularly. Thinks clover cut early the best hay 

 used. Likes to have it stand two or three days in 

 the cock under hay caps, as the sun injures hay. 

 Low land hay needs more drying than English 

 upland hay. Mr. Leverett uses Manny's mower. 

 Likes in the haying season to mow every evening 

 and cart every afternoon. Wants his hay cocked 

 up early the second day, and the day following 

 simply turned over without spreading. Clover 

 needs two or three days curing in the cock. It 

 cost about eighty dollars to cut, cure, and house 

 fifty tons of hay in this way. Estimates the wear 

 and tear of his mowing machine at six dollars a 

 year. His men hoe mornings when he has no 

 hand mowing. 



Moses Stebbins, of South Deerfield, said he cut 



