STACK BUILDING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 January 1941, Page 9

STACK BUILDING

SOME USEFUL HINTS. ; ADVICE OF AN OLD FARMER. I Mr W. Rayner. "The Cliffs," Master- ! ton. v,-rites as follows: —A few remarks ’ by an old farmer on how to handle , a crop of corn may not be amiss, es- | pecie.lly in relation to the weather this year. Farmers have been very . lucky with the weather conditions for I years. For a few years, some 55 to GO years ago, we had very bad wea- : ther. like what it might be this year, !if the rain had kept on. I have seen ' wheat growing out of the stooks five :or six inches long. Now. in cropping the weather is everything, and you must place your stooks to suit it. First, put all stooks east and west and about 10 to 12 sheaves in a stook. Keep the buts as close as possible and out fairly well. By this means you will almost! defy the wind with the stooks placed j east and west; they do not catch so■ much wind, and if they get a soaking ! they catch the sun and wind better.l Don’t let the end sheaves have too I much lean, as they take in more I rain. After rain the end sheaves l should be put up straighter. Some 1 farmers restook, but this is very i wrong, unless perhaps if there has j been a downpour of four or five inches. Even then I do not think it is wise. Go along and open the stook wide and put the sheaves back again: open from each end. It is surprising how soon they dry. 1 think by open- J ing them out it opens the sheaf and ■ lets the air in. Some people restook 1 and the first wind that comes blows the stooks over and if it rains there is a proper mess up. By not restocking the sheaves arc generally on dry ; ground. 1 think it is a mistake to I leave the crop out too long, as you i take a big risk. You do not know if, it will rain. In good hot weather I I think six days is long enough, if it j is to be stacked. But perhaps you j must have small stacks. My stacks ;