Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-10-14

southern farmer to own and operate
his W 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" 1t is doubtful
whether it will pay a grower to pur-
chase even a two-horse press if he
has less than so 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 lone at a
cost of about 81 per ton. Where there
are several hay growers in the same
community, each growing small guam
titles of hay, it is best to purchase a
press in common, or else for one per-
son to purchase it and make a bust
ness of baling hay, OF renting balers,
a frequent practice in most hay-grow-
ing sections. Where balers can be
rented the. charge is usually about a
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,
continuous-travel press which gives
three impulses to each revolution of
the team. 1t is arranged so that the
hay is fed into an opening on the side
or top of the press. AS soon as a
forkfu1 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 $3.50 to $500, and
Of a large power press from $500 up
ward.
A two-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 a two-horse press, and
consequently If a breakdown occurs
there will be a 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 lin
the locality. Such a press should bale
20 to 80 tons a lay. Unless there are
at least 200 tons to be baled the two
horse press is advised.
Methods OF 6aIing Hay.
Hay should be put up in neat, uni
form, square-ended bales, properly
and with distinct folds OF lay |
ers Of approximately the same size
and easily separable. Hay thus haled
will always command q better price
than sIoven1y baled hay, and especially
a crowded declining market. If
bales r uniform i'm length more. can
be packed in a al If square ended,
they are less liable to fan apart and
thus a loss to the shipper. II
made up Of many folds or layers, .
smaf quantity for feeding is con-
yenfently and easily separated from
the bale.
To make a good bale, a + should 10
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 q 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 n or more forkfuls
Of spoiled or stained hay into the mid
die Of the bale, usually results In q
much greater financial loss than the
mere value OF. the hay. 1t 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.
BaTIna From che Field, Stack or Barn.
Hay is sometimes baled directly
from the windrow or from the cocks.
This practice is not 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
eve is that hay from the field is often
baled too. soon. After such hay is
baled it will go through the process of
sweating, and often on arrival at the
market will be found so hot and COZ
sequently damaged as to be classed as
"~no-grade" hay.
The evident advantage of baIing
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 has been stacked or
housed it goes through the process of
sweating, which requires five to eight
weeks. This delay sometimes pre-
vents a grower from taking immediate
advantage of a good market, but on
the other hand it insures a better