stry in itself. The wheatfarmer, properly
speaking, only cuts what he will require for his own horses. A reaper
and binder is drawn by three horses, and will cut from 10 to 12 acres
per day. One man is required to drive the machine, and one or two men to
pick up and stook the sheaves. Some farmers cut their own hay for chaff,
working the machine either by hand or with horse-works for turning the
cutting wheel, but the majority have the hay cut by contractors, who
travel through the country with a special plant for the purpose,
charging $2.16 per ton for cutting. After a portion round the edges of
the crops has been cut for hay a strip of land is ploughed around the
crop in the stubble for the purpose of making a break in case of fire,
and thus enabling a fire that might approach the crop being controlled
on the bare ploughed ground.

[Illustration: CARTING WHEAT TO RAILWAY STATION.]

The wheat crop is allowed to become dead ripe in the paddock, as for
stripping the ears must be dry and quite ripe. Once it is ready to strip
every effort is made to take the crop off as quickly as possible, as it
does not improve standing, for some of the grain is likely to be shaken
out by winds. The more modern wheats, however, hold the grain
wonderfully against wind or hail. Varieties of wheat are sown so they
will mature at different times, which extends the harvesting period, as
one crop will be ready to harvest before the other is quite ripe, and
there is thus a useful rotation. At harvesting time work usually starts
in the paddock about 8 a.m., as the wheat does not strip well until the
hot sun gets on it, as it toughens during the night. The work goes on
until 7 or 7.30 p.m., with a break of two hours at mid-day, and spells
of twenty minutes in the morning and afternoon. Where labour is employed
one man drives the harvester, but his horses are looked after, fed,
groomed, and harnessed for him. This saves time, and enables the crop to
be taken off the more quickly. Of course, the farmer in a small way will
do his own work, requiring only a little assistance at harvest time,
someone to sew up and stack the bags. As there is always a rush at
harvest time, the bags of grain are often left lying in the paddocks in
small heaps until the crop is all off, when they are carted to the
railway or mill. Some farmers do their own carting, but the majority pay
the regular carriers to do this work, the cost varying according to
distance, but is