434: QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Dec., 1897. 
stook, and layer the sheaves round it until you have left two or three feet round 
the sides to start your outside ring, and so on, always taking care to keep the 
middle of your stack well filled. This is most important, as it prevents the 
rain penetrating. The stack should be thatched as soon as finished. 
THATCHING. 
The majority of farmers are of the opinion that thatching is not necessary ; 
this is a great mistake, as it costs little, and then you know your crop is safe 
from all weather. The best thatch to use is rushes, but they are very difficult 
to get in Queensland, whereas wheat straw or reeds make a good thatch.and 
are easily procurable. 
THRASHING. 
One may have a perfect sample of grain, and then have it fatally injured 
in the thrashing. The revolutions of the drum should be at least 200 less than 
that required for thrashing wheat, and the concave of the machine must not 
be set too close to the drum, or it will break and bruise the skin of the barley, 
and nip the awn off too close, which renders the grain practically useless for 
malting purposes, and, no matter how perfect the grain is, mould must develop 
during the germinating process. To avert this, in thrashing far better leave 
a few awns on the barley, which is not detrimental to the grain in the slightest 
degree. If the barley is found to be smutty, do not put it through the 
“polisher,” but through the “screw,” as then the smut bladders are not 
broken, and the grain does not get a discoloured tip that it would otherwise. 
Still there should be no smut at all if the pickling is properly attended to. 
Be sure and open the screen in the thrashing machine, and take out both 
seconds and thirds in order to secure an even sample. It must be borne in 
mind, if this is not done the inferior grain has to be taken out at the malt- 
house, and in purchasing barley the maltster always takes this into considera- 
tion. Taking Mr. J. G. Sims’ figures for Jast season’s barley, they show that 
there was a loss of about one-fourth through this cause. I was maltster for 
Mr. Sims, and can fully bear out his figures, which were published a few 
months ago, 
—— eee 
