Harvesting Wheat in Wet Seasons. 
451 
on the return of fine weather. After a heavy fall of rain, it is, 
however, desirable to inspect the meulons, and in any in which the 
rain has penetrated beneath the inverted sheaf which forms the cap, 
this latter should be lifted off as soon as the weather permits and 
exposed upon the ground in order to dry interiorly, whilst the sun 
and wind are drying the bared surface of the meulon. In the 
evening, or on the first sign of rain, the " cap " is returned to its 
place. Sometimes a gale will blow off the caps before these have had 
time to settle ; they should be at once replaced by hand. A field 
of wheat harvested in this manner presents an appearance not unlike 
that of the "pikes" or "winds" of hay which are often left stand- 
ing till late in the year in meadows in Ireland. 
When grain is cut before it is ripe it may be put into meulons, pro- 
vided that it is not wet either from rain or dew, and that the sheaves do 
not contain too much green herbage. In this latter case it is better 
to wait till the herbage has begun to dry. When there is a likelihood 
that corn crops may be laid by storms, or that wet warm weather 
may cause the still standing crop to germinate in the ear, premature 
cutting and preliminary stacking in meulons are strongly recom- 
mended, the ripening process being completed after cutting. Chemical 
analyses of the growing crop have served to indicate six well-defined 
periods or stages in the life-history of the wheat-plant : — 1. From 
germination to spring-time ; 2. From spring-time to the beginning 
of the formation of the ear ; this period, lasting about four 
weeks from the end of April or the beginning of May, is characterised 
by a very considerable absorption of nutrient substances, — nitrogen, 
lime, potash, phosphoric acid. 3. A period of twenty-two or twenty- 
three days, during which the ear is undergoing development. 4. A 
period of nineteen or twenty days, from the emergence of the ear 
from its sheath to the end of the flowering period. 5. A period of 
thirteen days, from the time of flowering to the commencement 
of ripening. 6. A period of about twenty-two days to the comple- 
tion of the ripening process. Denoting by 100 the total quantity of 
each of the mineral ingredients assimilated by wheat during the 
whole period of growth from germination to maturation, and also 
by 100 the weight of the organic substance built up during the 
life of the plant, the relations between the quantities of organic 
matter formed and of nutrient ingredients which are taken up are 
shown in the following table : — 
1 
Period of Growth 
Days of 
Gro.vth 
Dry 
Hatter 
Organic 
Matter 
Nitro- 
gen 
Mineral 
Matter 
Potash 
Lime 
Mag- 
nesia 
Phos- 
phoric 
acid 
From seeding time 1 
about 
(?) 
15-9 
15-2 
49-G 
24-8 
45-G 
419 
20-8 
31-2 
From 1 to beginning i 
>f formation of ear . J 
27 
28-0 
280 
700 
46'3 
72-1 
Cl-2 
64-8 
64 0 
From 2 to the ap- 1 
pearance of the ear . ) 
23 
66'5 
65-3 
80-5 
85-3 
98-9 
88-9 
81-8 
83-5 
From 3 to the end of I 
19 
86-8 
85-9 
95-5 
98-1 
100-0 
100-0 
90-0 
97-7 
From 4 to the com- 1 
onceraentof ripening I 
13 
100-0 
100-0 
100-0 
100-0 
97-3 
97-3 
91-4 
96-5 
From 5 to perfect ) 
naturation . . . . j 
22 
999 
100-0 
95-2 
977 
75-G 
85-9 
100-0 
100-0 
a g 2 
