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I i 



.11 



Q. What signs indicate that the time has come to 

 reap the wheat, barley, oats, rye and buckwheat ? 



A. All these kinds of grain, except those which are 

 set a part for sowing purposes, must be cut a short 

 time before they have fully ripened. Thus wheat 

 is ready to be cut when the grain having past the 

 milky state, is however sufficiently soft to be marked 

 with the finger nail. In this state the straw is still 

 green near the points. All the other kinds of grain 

 must also be cut before they are completely ripe. 

 The grain when cut a little green has more weight 

 and bulk. 



Q. What inconveniences result from cutting the 

 grains too late, when they are too ripe ? 



A. The grains shed, and a large quantity of grain 

 remains on the ground and is lost. 



Q. What are the precautions to be taken after the 

 wheat, rye and barley have been cut ? 



A. The wheat, the rye and the barley should be 

 sheafed and bound immediately after they have 

 been cut and built up in shocks or stooks. 



Q. How are these shocks built ? 



A. A sheaf is first set up on its stocks, the ears 

 uppermost. Around this first sheaf, four others are 

 set up slightly inclined so as to rest on it, the ears 

 being also uppermost. 



These sheaves should not have more than three 

 feet in circumference measured on the tie, otherwise 



