The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-01-07
Beware of Wet Hay.

Beware Of Wet Hay.
The following from the Hay Trade
Journal is of interest to farmers who
have hay to sell, as we'll as dealers
generally:
The damage to baled hay from be-
coming wet while being brought to
market from the farm does not seem
to have been fully measured; especi-
ally by the farmer who will say that
the weather was clear when he left
home, he had but a slight shower while
on the road, and only the top tier of
bales are little wet, but not enough
to injure them. This may be true
from his point of view, as probably the
water has not penetrated the bale to
exceed a quarter of an inch, which
would quickly dry off and not injure
the feeding qualities. The dealer re-
ceiving the wet hay will revolve the
question of what is best to do over in
his mind several times, and finally de-
eide that it was the fault of no one but
the rainmaker, and then load the hay
into car OF storehouse, where it may
come in contact with goods that
have come in in good order. and pos
sibly from the same farm. These goods
may remain in this condition for sew
everal days, with the result that he
has not only got the few bales that
were on the top of the load, that were
not wet enough to do any harm, but
he may have 20 or more bales that may
have their selling quality injured from
stain or change OF color to the extent
of from 81 to S. per ton. and it may
not end with these few bales.
When the car gets to market a dealer
comes along and buys it at a good
price. When he breaks into it and
finds few of these bales that did not
get wet enough in the country to do
them any harm he stops business and
says: There is something wrong
about this car of hay. don't want
it; it is not what | bought; some of it
shows wet or stain and l am afraid it
is all alike" and no amount of explana-
ton will convince him to the contrary.
He leaves it and buys elsewhere.
Later on, another buyer comes along,
and the broker will show him the same
car, and he will say: Il saw this car
marked sold this morning; why is it
that the party did not take it?" And
this may occur again and again dur
ing the day,sand probably tomorrow
| it may have to be sold for dollar OF
two per ton less, just because a few
bales crept into the car that were not
wet enough to do any harm. But it
has cost the dealer $40 to 500, which
could have been avoided by the trifiine
| expenditure Of a few dollars for a
wagon cover, which every farmer
ought to have or the dealer have for
him. In either case of ownership il
would soon prove itself to be one OF
| the best investments ever made.
There seem to be a thousand and one
small leaks in the hay trade, and this
| look after.
When the hay gets to the city mar.
ket, no dealer thinks of sending it out
without its being fully protected with
a cover, for he knows full we'll tina,
should it get wet it will be returned te
him. No excuse in regard to the rain
maker will do in this case; but he
must stand the loss caused by his
negligence. The dealer provides his
| storehouse; the steam boats or barge
| lines their covered boats; the railroad
companies dry cars, also good stores a,
their terminals for the protection o1
the goods from the elements. The
only missing link seems to be between
| the farmer and the receivers hands
When this is connected you have rem
edied that which has cost an unkno WE
amount. This has cost the writer mo-
ney to learn, and probably every one
in the hay trade has had the same SIX
perience,