262 FARM CROPS 



ceedingly satisfactory, but its heavy draft and the 

 fact that it is not available in many neighborhoods, 

 tend to keep it back. A number of the manufac- 

 turers of drills now make a combination implement, 

 by means of which the press wheels may be used 

 or not, depending upon the condition of the soil. 

 This is a little more expensive than the average 

 drill, but since you have two implements in one, it 

 can be purchased with profit. 



Saving Grain at Harvest. — It is a matter of small 

 consequence if grain in the corners of the field is 

 wasted or if the binder course at the edge of the 

 field is destroyed, so we think — the hogs will get it. 

 In many cases this is true. But it is expensive 

 feeding, too expensive at the present price of grain. 

 And the loss of grain in the shock and stack, due to 

 mice, rats and bad weather, is much greater than 

 the loss due to loss in the field. But is this loss all 

 necessary? Is it good business to go to the ex- 

 pense of raising wheat or rye or oats, and then 

 after the crop has matured to lose anywhere from 

 5 to 15 per cent of the crop by bad management at 

 harvest? In many instances not only has the en- 

 tire crop in the shock or stack been damaged, but a 

 large amount, often as much as 25 per cent of the 

 crop, has actually been destroyed. Every once in 

 a while seasons are bad for the crops. They catch 

 grain growers by surprise and to their loss. True 

 as this may be, it is a fact, nevertheless, that many 

 farmers, big and little, do circumvent the loss and 

 damage. They do it by wise planning, by careful 

 management and by meeting emergencies as they 

 occur. 



Making Shocks to Withstand Rain. — ^There is 

 little to be said about stacking and shocking grain 



