Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1881-10-29
Drying Hay by Artificial Means.

The system Of drying hay By artificial :,
heat. devised by Mr. ". 4. Gibbs, Of Gill
well Park, Chingford, Essex, has been be-
lore the public several years, and though |
us adoption has made slow progress, it Is |
no" being used by several well known az |
ricCIturlst5. Since the construction of the |
apparatus was first publicly described 1t |
has received several Improvements, and it
IS now constructed with single vibrating
trough, along which the hay gradually ira
verse;; the coke furnaces are combined in
one With the trough. ard shaking and VI
bratlng mechanism upon two pairs of road
wheels for easy transport, and the width
mas been reduced to seven feet, A writer
recently saw the machine at work, and
says that grass from q water meadow was
being put through the apparatus, encoup-
te-ingat first hot blast of about 400 de-
grees, which drives off the moisture in
steaIn, following through other streams of
less heated air, and being delivered in a
condition of finished aromatic hay of rich,
green color. Each load of more than two
tons was put through in fifty y-five minutes,
or slig htly longer time than ii took man
to load 1t in the field. One feature, he
says, in MIR. Gibbs machine is its value tor
converting injured hay into goo1, whole
some hay, the fans blowing Out dust and
must. while the sui ulphurOus gas from the
burning coke ie believed to destroy the
germs of microscopic life which may be
the cause Of disease in live stock fed upon,
foul hay. 1t is suggested that were these
hay Irlers IN the hands of men who let out
tlrashing machines, and could work them
at time OF year when little thrashng re-
mains TO be done, they would save an i'm
mense acreage OF hay every season IN splen-
Gid conditlbn- Another system, winch
promises to- be of even higher economic
value, has recently, however, been de
scrlbed as in successful use for several sea-
sons by A1r. Nelson. and more recently by
MIR. Knowles, of Colston Basset Hall, Bing-
ham, near Nottingham. This system CON
ssts in thoroughly tedding and lightly
scattering the grass as soon AZ cut by q
machine, and SO expose it to the whitening
action Of the air, whether under sunshine
or showers. In about two Gays the green
hay, without any turning or other labor ex-
pended upon il, and whether wet or not, IS,
. in its half-made condition, carted and
stacked. The rick at once begins to fer
ment and heat, and the heat SO generated
} making. The temperature to which the
hav is allowed to rise is regulated, and the
means employed for this and for draining
off all the snpertuous moisture have been
: thus described:
In the raised base or SADDLE on which
the rick IS 10 stand, whether that is an
ironwork structure or raised earth, is lalC
an alright pipe, which may be of earthen-
ware, OF from three int hes to six inche!
!: diameter, joined with cement, and thi.
} tube or air passage communicates with q
; vertical one In the center Of the SADDLE
e and Using q short distance to the center OF
the height of the rick. An exhaust far
connected with the horizontal part of tht
q pipe is situated at short distance from tht
4 stack, IN bun ding or otherwise. In cast
:. Of long rick, the horizontal pipe is con
tlnued along the middle OF the staddle, ane
q two vertical pipes are used. Each apertur,
Z at the junction of the vertical and hori
;, zontal pipes is fitted With sliding damper
:, and can be opened or closed by rod ex
2 tending outside the bottom Cf the rick. Ii
stacking the hay vertical air shaft O
chimney is formed over each aperture, b,
7 the common method OF drawing up sacl
of straw or a round chaf basket as th
building Of the rick proceeds; but thes
+" ventllatlng t1ues are carried up TO only hal
! = the height OF the stack. When the ex
haust tan is set III motion, drawing al
= from the underground pipe and rarelyln
the air in the chimney, the replacement O
:, that an can come only by currents pene
traling the rick from the outside walls an
ie roof, and gradually converging into th
& chimney III tie center. BY tbls exhaustio
e of the hot ar and moisture out Of the mic
Il die of the mass, cold air is induced t
g enter the stack a. all points and TO seek th
II central hue, bearing with IL the excess Z
~ heat ana mOlsture. and cooling the whOl
- substance OF the rick. Very little p1wt
n. Is required to dllve ian Of the necessar
le Size and Mr. Knowles five horse stea,
at engine drives the ian when giving out
We mere fractional part Of its power. Or
3. horse, working a fan by means of 4
Is ordinary horse gear and intermediate III
II, ton, viii 90 well; and tive men turning
II corn-dresslng machine ian, arranged
e, connection with the air tube, have oet
l.. able 10 accomplish ali that was wanted {
al CO ling Stack, With gentle sxhaul
nj lAe atmospheric air is Caused TO pertnes
er every part Of the TICK IL ample qnan,l
for keeping down The temperature Of /
n fcrinentlng grass