The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1903-06-19
Putting up Alfalfa in the Stack.

have lately been reading in the Field
and Farm a number of very interesting
articles regarding the stacking of alfal.
ia and while | am not averse to them as
whole, would like to give an account
Of my system. | stack several hundred
tons annually, using the Fleming swing.
ing stacker and two Fleming senior
sweeps or go devils, carrying the hay
ahead the horses and taking it direct
from the windrow. | drive engthwise
of the windrow, zigzaging SO as to fill
the sweep full length, then shove some
ahead, raise the load over and let down
on top; back up, ch x in again fast and
this piles the hay six feet high, check
ing one horse 50 as to pull out Of the
windrow, at the same time raising the
load, In this way the load is carried
direct to the stacker, driving square up
to the pitcher and dropping the load
thereon. Then back off, wheel half
way around by starting one horse and
backing the other and go for ANOTHER
load
The stack tender gathers the trip rope
and pulls back the rope in the left hand,
leaving the trip.rope loose and starting
the horse with the right hand, The
horse is trolIeyed TO the guide rope
running through ring fastened to the
bit by short strap to keep him in place
and TO stop him when the stacker is
swung high enough. AS the horse
moves the load rises and swings toward
the stack, The driver holds by the
puIl.back rope, changing the loose trip.
rope into the right hand If he wishes
the load on the near side Of the stack as
soon as It clears he commands the horse
to stop and hold thsre, at tbs same time
loosaning his hold on the back rope a
little fthe stacker has been properly
adjusted, gravity will swing the load
wherever the stacker wishes it aud it is
then tripped. The pitcher teeth strikes
the stack, the load remaining partly on
them.
Then the horse starts again to draw
the pitcher out, letting the load down
on the stack beautifully. The pitcher
snaps up into position and locks. The
driver then pulls it back by the rope,
backing the horse for another load. while
the stacker climbs on to the load and
settles it into position and leans on his
fork ready for the next. When the next
load comes up the builder possibly wants
it dumped on the off side Of the stack.
Then we manage differently by letting
the horse pull the load up high above
the stack, When swung to proper place
with the horse kept going trip which
.-'tO"a tnt load Dottom side up, on the
far side Of the stack. The horse soon
learns to stop when it is time to trip and
backs right up, The stacker must be
alive and pull the stacker back quickly
into position
This makes stack from sixteen to
eighteen feet, thirty-fve feet long and
twnnty-three feet without moving the
rig, 1t can be topped out little high
er by taking hay directly off the pitcher
and throwing it back. The hay coming
on the stack in this way IN 500 to GOO
pound jags and dropping on the top
without being loossned makes a very
solid stack, All the leaves remain in the
hay II rains have not already spoiled it.
have stacked eighty-thrse tons in two
days with full outfit-four men and
live horses-the hay being measured
thirty days settling | usually stack
in the middle OF a ten acre field, Joining
two stacks together if necessary, max
lug rick from fifty to seventy feet
long, stacking the second crop by the
side and the third by that etc. 1t takes
no more room to stack in the field than
IN stack yard, therefore | raise alfalfa
in my stack yard. OF course do not 'get
a crop where ] stack but use the same
place each year, hauling iu winter to
the lote.-E. G, Scriven, in Field &
Farm.