August 16th.

Thursday August 16th. 1923

Fine
Go to Stow
All setting up wheat sheaves in oak field, setting up Rattlesden meadow Barley, carting Bullace field of wheat
Long day

farm Work for the Year
August
Arable farm:
This is the principal harvest month over all the Southern and Midland counties. Wheat is cut before it becomes dead ripe; the last operation of the ripening plant is to thicken the coat of bran on the grain, and there is more flour to a bushel of wheat cut before that stage than after it. Oats are cut while still a little green in the straw; they generally shake out in the wind if left till ripe. Barley is permitted to stand till dead ripe, the ear hanging down. It is required to be all of one stage of ripeness, secured by making it all dead ripe. Winter beans are ripe, and will be harvested in August. Spring-sown beans are also ripening. Early tares left for seed will ripen in August. Mangels and carrots, if running to seed, should be pulled or cut down. Clovers are now over, or folded by sheep. Lucerne also provides forage. Cabbages may be available for cattle at pasture in drought. Fallow work proceeds, and if the land is still foul, advantage must be taken of dry weather to collect and burn weeds. Trifoliage Incarnatum may be sown, 20 lb per acre, over wheat stubble that has been cleaned and harrowed in.