The Farm

The proper time to cut wheat, says ;he Indiiin Farmer, is a practical ques.ion wliich bas long been diseussed ainong farmers, but bas never been tully settled, if we may judge frotn ;heir barvest lields. Tbe ciimraoii practice is to sulfer tlio cropto stand ;ill tbe grain is hard. Tbis is a mis;ake, and a inore important one tban many persons suppose. Wben tbe wheat grain is flrst formed it is a üttle )ac lilled witb water bolding in solución a small iiortion of sugar. As it advances, tbe sugar ulereases, but directly a portion of' it is converted uto itarch, tbe granules, of which, floating in the water, give it the appearance of mille. At. tl, is time, iluten makes its ippearance, This is the nutritioua or iesh-forming element of the wheat - Jiat wliich makes the flöur stick tcgetbev vvlien made into dougli. As the jrain ripens tlie starcti and gluten inïrease and tbe sugar and water diminisb till tbe uiilk entirely disappears and tbe kernel is (illed witli a soft dongb-like substance. From this point the gluten diminisbes, and tbe 3Í1ÍCÍOU8 matter wliich forms the bran Ulereases till tbe graiu is entirely ti arden ed. To retain all tbe nutritious properfcies of the grain witli but little waste in bran requires wbeat to be cut early. A good rule is - when the milk bas entirely disappeared from the grain, and while y et the kernel can be crushsd between the thumb and ünger, is tbe proper time to cut wheat. A word on anotber point, before we dismiss this subject: This is a very uncertain cliuiate, especially about harvest time, and a great risk is incurred in suffering giain to stand in shock af ter it is dry enough to staek, waiting for tbe tbresher to come around. There is scarcely a year that the waste from standing in the field two or three reeks af ter it if dry enough to stack will not pay the expense of securing it. Leaving it in the field is a risk which no prudent merchant or mechanic would incur in bis business.