The Monticellonian., 1915-07-29

Prepared hy the United States Depart
 ment Of Agricuiture1
 Whether 1t is practical for the southern farmer to own and operate his own hay baler or press depends to a great extent upon the number of tons of hay the farmer will bale each year. is the opinion expressed by the departments experts in Farmers Bull letin No. GIT. Growing Hay in the South for Market" It is doubtful whether it will pay a grower to pur- chase even a two-horse press If he has less than 50 tons of hay to be baled each year. When less than this quantity is grown it will be cheaper to hire the hay baled if it is possible to do so. This can often be done at a cost of about s1 per ton. Where there are several hay growers in the same community. each growing small quan titles of hay, it is best to purchase press in common. or else for one per son to purchase 1t and make a busi- ness of baling hay. or renting balers. a frequent practice in most hay-grow- ing sections. Where balers can be rented the charge is usually about penny per bale.
 The experts point out that the one horse perpetual type press (the only type of press used in the South is not economical because of it's small capacity. One of the most convenient and efficient types is the two-horse, CnnftnnnII str val ,4shi oi, three impulses to each revolution of the team. It is arranged so that the hay Is fed into an opening on the side or top of the press. As soon as a forkful of hay is placed in the press. the feed opening closes end the hay Is carried down into the baling cham Der. Hence. there is no necessity to force the hay down by means of a fork or the foot, as with some of the older types of presses. The cost of a two-horse press is s150 to $500, and Of large power press from $500 up- ward
 A twc-horse press can be operated with four or five men, and will bale eight to twelve tons a day. A large power press will require about twice the crew of two-horse press. and consequently if a breakdown occurs there will be relatively greater loss of time. A power press will prove profitable only when a large acreage is grown by one individual or where there is considerable hay grown in the locality. Such press should bale 20 to 30 tons a lay Unless there are at least POO tons to be baled the two horse press is advised.
 Methods of Ealing Hay.
 Hay should De put up in neat. uni form, square-ended bales. properly wired. and with distinct folds or lay CTS of approximately the same size and easily separable. Hay thus baled will always command a better price than slovenly baled hay, and especially on a crowded declining market If bales are uniform in length more can be packed in a car; if square ended, they are less liable to fall apart and thus cause loss to the shipper. If made up of many folds or layers. a Stidil IOi itCdALS IS COu- yeniently and easily separated from the bale
 To make good bale, care should be exercised to make each feed uniform and not to feed very large or very small forkfuls at random. Special at tention should be given when starting or finishing a bale, in order to secure square ends. The division block should be dropped at the proper moment. thus insuring bales of uniform length.
 Another very important point is to put only one kind of grade of hay into a bale. The custom of sandwich ing" or putting one or more forkfuls of spoiled or stained hay into the mid de of the bale, usually results in a much greater financial loss than the mere value of the hay. It causes the shipper or receiver to be always on the lookout after he has once seen hay from a grower who tries to dis pose of his spoiled hay by this method. salina From the Field, Stack or Barn.
 Hay is sometimes baled directly from the windrow or from the cocks. This practice is not a desirable one in humid regions, there being in creased danger of loss from rains and inevitably a greater amount of bleach ing. The most serious difficulty. how ever. is that hay from the field is often baled too soon. After such hay is baled 1t will go through the process of sweating and often on arrival at the market will be found so hot and con sequently damaged as to be elassed as "no-grade" hay.
 The evident advantage of baling from the field is to save the cost of stacking and housing, but this advan tage in reducing expense rarely com pensates for the poorer quality of hay that is usually the result
 After hay mas seen stacked or housed it goes through the process of sweating, which requires five to eight weeks. This delay sometimes pre- vents grower from taking immediate advantage of a good market, but on the other hand it insures a better quality of hay. After hay has gone
 Poison for Cutworms.