The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-04
tries the hay crop consists almost en-

tries the hay crop consists almost en- tirely of meadow and other grassse,
 while in Australia a very large propor- ton of the area under hay comprises
 cereal crops, mainly wheat and oats.
 The area devoted to hay shows a
 marked huctuation from year to year. This is due to various causes, the prin-
 cipal one being the relations in the
 relative prices of grain and hay and
 the favorableness of the season for a
 grain crop.
 Thus crops originally sown for grain
 are frequently cut for hay, owing to the improved price that commodity, or to the fact that the outlook for the
 development of the grain is not satis- factory. On the other hand, inn
 proved grain prices or the prospects
 of a heavy yield will frequently cause
 crops originally intended for hay to
 be left for grain.
 It is almost the universal rule for
 the farmer to cut about 25 per cent
 of his wheat-sown land for hay.
 Wheaten hay is cut before the head
 begins to fill, or, in other words, when the sap is distributed throughout the stalk, the chief aim being to produce fresh and succulent feed
 Owing to the demand for hay in the cities the farmers situated near them almost invariably cut their /en- tire crops for hay In such cases the hay is at once carried to the chaff mills. The individual farmers who cut only enough hay for their own re- quirements stack the hay and cut it for chaff as required
 All hay is cut with binders, and Am- erican machines are greatly in evi- dence. There are no binders, manu- factured in Australia. Only a very small percentage of the grain grown is cut to be thrashed afterward. Chaff. cutters are largely used in connection with the hay crop. The | majority of these are locally made.
 There Is a growing number of far mers who own chaff cutters, but a great deal of chaff is still made un- der contract by travelling outfits go- ing from farm to farm. This is prin- cipally the case in places where the season is early and it is desired to
 take advantage of the higher prices paid then for new chaff.
 One of the features of the chaff cutters is what is termed the "hay- steamer The sheaves pass through a plpelike conductor or feeder inside of which are steam jets that thor l oughly moisten the hay before il 1 reaches the cutter mouth This is ,, done to obtain a better sample ot chaff than is the case when the hay | is cut dry. This attachment, natur- ally, can be used only when steam en- | zines furnish the motive power foI
 the cutter. When steam is not avail able water is often used to dampen the
 day before passing it through the ma chine.
 | As can be seen, Australian harvest, l ing operations are relatively simple | when improved machinery available
 is made use of. This explains cer-
 tain aspects of Australian agriculture
 which are possibly without paralle l elsewhere. The most impressive | thing about farming in the common, wealth is the large areas of land thaf
 will be put under crop by one man i Farms average 900 acres in the sec tions devoted to wheat growing. One l .hird of this area is generally under crop, another third is in fallow ant /, the other third remains uncultivated with possibly sheep feeding on it
 natural grasses. One man will. II