214 
Harvesting in a Bad Season. 
stook, others 10, others 8 ; I prefer 10 because I find in practice 
they stand up against the Avind better than 8, and quite as well 
as 12. I am aware of the plan adopted in many places of putting- 
4 sheaves together only. Though in theory I like the 4-shcaf 
stook, in practice they do not seem to answer as well as 10, but 
are constantly blown down. This may arise from the labourer's 
want of practice, for I am told that in Scotland, Wales, and other 
places, they stand well. 
7. Never iise Hoods or Caps. — The hoods or caps are made by 
turning the butt-end upwards, spreading out the ears, and making 
a sort of " fantail," which acts as a roof. There is a great 
difference of opinion on this point, and I will not speak positively 
about it. My experience is against the hoods. In the same field 
I have tried both ways ; and the un-hoodcd stooks having shown 
the least sprouting, it struck me that as the straw in the hoods is 
inverted, the rain may not run off" them so easily as when it 
trickles down the straw in its natural position for growth ; this 
may possibly cause more of the wet to lodge in the straw, and 
thus saturate the ears that are covered so as to make them sprout 
more than if they were exposed. 
8. It is " better to have muck in the Stook than muck in the 
Stack.", — All agree in this adage, but the weariness and anxiety 
of a wet harvest, with the gloomy clouds or the murky atmos- 
phere of October and November, often drive the farmer to impro- 
per haste. Yet the greater the age and experience of the farmer, 
the more you will find that he has come to the conclusion, that 
there always has been a time and therefore he hopes there always 
will be one for gathering in the crop ; and whilst the young man in 
anxiety and haste rushes too soon to his carting in the hope that 
all will be right, the older and wiser says he fears it is not dry 
and waits patiently, as bygone years of wet harvests have taught 
him to do. Never in any case house or stack your corn until 
you can say without a shadow of doubt it is dry and ready. To 
learn whether it is ready put your hand to the middle of the 
sheaf, and if it be cold or damp it is not ready ; if it feel dry and 
comfortable it is. ready. When it is ready and the day fine, as 
soon as the dew is off, throw or rather jndl down, very gently,, 
every stook, and let the butt end be put to windward. If it 
happen that you can expose it to both sun and wind so much the 
better, unless the wind should happen to be as furious as that 
which in September, 1860, in a few hours damaged my corn to 
the extent of at least 240Z. ; in such a case put the ears to the 
wind. I name this because a wet harvest is sometimes a windy 
harvest. In 1860 every stook in a field of 10 acres was lilown 
down ; at least three-fourths of the sheaves were carried across 
the field, and 5 cart-loads were actually blown over a 4 feet 
