Mountain advocate., 1919-10-03


horse presses. They are designed for
the farmer who has a small average
OF hay, and they can be especially rec
commended for the small hay grower
II he Is In section where little hay
Is grown and where hay presses are
scarce and hard to hire. The only ob-
lection to this type of press is its
small production day. II the pros-
pfctlve purchaser is in doubt as to
which size to buy, It would probably
be better In many instances for him
TO buy the two-hOrse press. The one
horse press can be used to advantage
II hay is baled from the stack or barn
ut time when there is no urgent
need to do other farm work.
The two-horse, full-circle, or contlnu.
ous-travel, perpetual press Is the type
of horse press most extensively used.
In operating this machine the horses
travel in circle. In buying press
OF this type the purchaser should pay
especial attention to the power mech.
anism, the material used for lmpor.
tant parts Of the press, size of the
Feed opening, plunger return device,
self-feeding attachment, and conve-
nience In tying the bales and in set.
ting and moving the press.
The reversible lever type of press
ls sometimes called the half-circle
press, since the team travels half a
circle, turns around, and pulls the
lever to the other side, n charge Of hay
being pressed for each half circle. This
type Is easily portable and is always
ready for work, since It is not neces-
sary to take off the wheels or lower
them from the ground to the axle or
to stake the front end of the press.
1t has smaller hour capacity than
the continuOus-travel press and re-
quires n well-traned team to operate
1t TO capacity.
Large Growers Use Power.
Large hay growers and shippers who
buy and bale large quantities of hay
generally use power presses. These
are In common use in sections where
the usual practice is to bale hay from
the windrOw or the cock, such as the
alfalfa and Johnson grass and prairie
hay sections of the South. They are
sometimes used in preference to the
twO-horse type on alfalfa and Johnson
grass hay farms, even where the hay
acreage is comparatively small. say
from 80 to 10 acres, for the reason that
they will bale hay about twice as fast
as it could be done with two-hOrse
press, thereby greatly lessening the
danger Of injury To hay due to bad
weather.
AS power to drive hay presses, the
steam engine, portable or self-pro-
polling, has been almost entirely SUI
perseded by the gasoline or kerosene
engine. With gas engine there is no
need for an engine and a water haul
err. A few owners employ an engineer
when doing custom baling with n fast
working crew, because he keeps the en-
CINE going and saves expensive loss Of
time on the part of the press crew.
When the crew is hired by the ton the
men are not paid for time lost on ac-
count of breakdown, and In such
cases engineers are not often en-
ployed. Usually one of the press
crew looks after the engine when 1t re-
quires attention. On farms where
tractors are used, If the tractor Is not
needed for other essential work when il
Is time to bale hay, the belt power
press should ordinarily be used, since
II costs less than the motor press, and |
since 1t would not be good business to |
use motor press while tractor |
stands idle.
Thorough discussion Is also given In |
this government publication to the i'm |
portant features of power presses, the |
difference between the light-duty and |
presses, the longevity Of
the press, as well as facts about the
economic operation of these presses. |
The capacity Of the press depends, to
4 large extent, upon the skill Of the
crew operating it, The average power
press should bale from 20 to 80 tons
n a 10-hour day.