Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-08-15
ABOUT STACKING.
IT Is VERY ESSENTIAL THAT THE
STACKS BE COVERED.
One Of the Most Important Points IL the
Plat form reameries vs.. Cheese Fac
tories-Spanish Mcrinos.

So far as possible only such crops as
are intended to be threshed should be
stacked outside. Wheat and oats, rye,
slower and millet for seed, and oats for
feeding, together with all crops cut for
aay, should be stored under shelter.
In a majority Of cases it will prove
economical to provide shelter of some
Kind, eve II it be only a rough shed or
oarrack under which to stack the hay
and oats for feed, rather than to put
hem outside and let remain exposed to
winds, rain, etc. The risk of loss, too,
S considerably increased when stacked
outside. A shower may occur and
damage a considerably portion of nay
n an unfinished stack, or a strong wind
blow off the top of a stack or rick, and
cain following viii seriously damage,
f not entirely ruin for feeding. With
sheds, every load moved and stored
away can be considered safe.
Another important consideration is
shis-an hay exposed to the action of
ain, snow, sun and wind, loses it's
autritive value very rapidly, and when,
rs is so often the case, it is put up in
small stacks, this loss is quite a serious
one. For those reasons it will pay
when possible to provide good shelter
for the hay and unthreshed oats at
east, and, in many cases, both wheat
and oat straw would make more and
better feed IL they too could be stored
Under shelter as o as the threshing
IS done.
Bot it is not always possible to shelf
ar all the different kinds of products
grow~ on the farm. Although our
barn is a large one, considering the
size of the farm, with sheds separate
from it, yet we are occasionally obliged
TO stack some OF our feed outside.
When this is the case we try to arrange
TO put the clover, hay and oats intend
ed to be fed out without threshing
under shelter; next the millet, and if
any is left out the first choice is given
to the red top, and then the timothy.
IL the hay lofts are filed with clover
hay at the time of harvesting it, by the
time the millet is ready, the hay moved
and stored away will have settled
down o that considerable more can be
put IN.
| ind it makes quite a difference as
TO how much fresh hay can be put in a
NOW or shed by the way it is moved
away. When a fork and carrier are
used and heavy loads taken up and
dropped in the loft and her left I'M
disturbed, a much smaller quantity
viii be put in than if care Is taken to
scatter out evenly so that it will settle
down together, and leave little or no
u~noccupied space.
1t requires careful work TO stack
oats, clover hay Or pnillet So that they
will keep in good condition for any
length of time. Either timothy or red
top is much easier stacked to keep well.
If il is necessary to stack clover hay,
millet or oats with nj expectation that
they will remain out ali WHIT. II will
be best to top out out with timothy, red
top or wheat straw. Another point in
lessening the loss is to put up in long
ricks rather than in small stacks. II is
true that often round stacks can all be
hauled in with three or four loads, but
with a good hay knife this objection is
easily overcome, and the lessened
amount exposed to the action of the
elements makes the large ricks more
economical. If the stacking is done
carelessly a small stack may lessen the
amount of damaged hay, but u me
small stack takes water another may,
and fully as much damage be sustained
in the end. But with careful stacking
there is very little risk from this cause.
The n important essential in build
ing a rick or stack of any kind, or of
any material, is to keep the middle so
full that it will carry all the water
which may soak or be driven into the
stack out of it. Good drainage should
always be provided around them, and
then care to keep the middles full,
keeping the sides even. tramping care
fully SC that It will settle evenly, and
topping out well. Do not draw in too
rapidly, but at the same time avoid
running up the Top SO high as to make
it easy for the wind to blow off.
1t is always best to have a platform
of some kind upon which to start a
stack or rick. This not only lessons
the damage from contact with the
ground, but also admits of better drain
age and a better circulation of air
underneath. Build up, spreading out a
little all around, until the desired
height for what is called the bulge is
reached. With wheat, oats, or any
KIND of grain, it is best to commence
Z ,awing in gradually, but with hay the
rick or stack car be carried up straight
for several feet and then finished off by
drawing in a little more rapidly than
with grain. All kinds of hay should
be stacked as soon as carried. A fork,
carrier. and cable stackers will lessen
the work very materially.
Another point too often overlooked,
is the careful stacking of straw after
threshing. Wheat, oats, and straw can
all be used to good advantage either to
stack during the winter or to use as
bedding, and in this way increase the
manure pile. To derive the most profit
from them, care should be taken to
stack so as TO keep in the best condi-
ton. IL they are worth stacking to
save at all. they are worth keeping in
good condition. We use straw in on
naction with clover hay and wheat
bran for feeding growing stock during
the winter, and find il makes a cheap
ration.
More or less bedding is always need
ed during the winter, not only to save
the manure, but also to add to the COM
fort of the stock In order IN have his