WHEAT 265 



the outer side is laid, and when completed another 

 course is started in the opposite direction with the 

 butts laying up to the bands Course after course 

 now follows until the middle is reached The 

 inner course should be packed very closely, so as to 

 keep the middle fuller than the outside. A good 

 stacker, who is accustomed to the work, will lay 

 out a little until the stack is as large as needed. 

 The size can be maintained until it is time to draw 

 in so as to top out. It is especially necessary when 

 this drawing-in work has started to have the center 

 full, which must be maintained all the time. Keep 

 the center higher than the outside. When the draw- 

 in is started, let it be done slowly at first. 



Small grains stacked in this manner will save the 

 grain about as well as if stored in the barn. As a 

 last thing, I like to cover the stack with old hay and 

 then to weigh this down with hangers made of ropes 

 or wires. When so protected it is just about im- 

 possible for rains to do any damage. 



Threshing from Shock or Stack. — The strongest 

 argument against threshing from the shock is the 

 fact that it takes the whole farming force of the 

 community with a great many teams to get the 

 grain to the machines. If the farmer pays for most 

 of this large force of helpers by working back, when 

 his neighbors get ready to thresh it will take him 

 a great many days to cancel his debt. No matter 

 how pressing a certain piece of work may be he is 

 obliged to break right oiif and assist his neighbor 

 when the machine gets there. Threshing machines 

 are like time itself — they wait for no man. A 

 farmer is forced to thresh in his turn when the 

 machine reaches his neighborhood, or he may have 

 to wait a long while before it comes back to his 



