The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1919-09-18

l
horse presses. They nre designed for
the farmer who has 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 OBJ
lection to this type of press Is its
| small production day. II the pros.
| pective 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
If hay is baled from the stack or barn
at a time when there Is no urgent
need to do other farm work.
The two-horse, full-circle, or continu-
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
nnism, the material used for impor-
tant parts of the press. size Of the
feed opening, plunger return device,
self-feedlng attachment, and conve-
nience In tying the bales and In set
ting and moving the press.
The reversible lever type of press
Is sometimes called the half-circle
press, since the team travels half
circle. turns around, and pulls the
lever to the other side. 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 hrs smaller hour capacity than
tie continuous-travel press and re-
qulres a well-trained 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 so to rs acres, for the reason that
they will bale hay about twice as fest
as 1t could be done with a two-horse
press. thereby greatly lessenlng the
danger of injury to hay due to bad
weather.
AS power to drive hay presses, the
steam engine, portable or self.pro-
pelllng, has been almost entirely su-
perseded by the gasoline or kerosene
engine. With gas engine there Is no
need for an engine and water haul
er. A few owners employ an engineer
when doing custom baling with fast
working crew, because he Keeps the en-
gine 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 em-
, ployed. Usually one OF the press
crew looks after the engine when II re-
; qulres attention. On farms where
, tractors are used, II the tractor is not
needed for other essential work when II
is time to bale hay, the belt power
, press should ordinarily be used, since
, It 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
4 portant features of power presses. the
r difference between the light-duty ant
e heavy-duty presses, the longevity oi
e the press, as well as facts about the
S economic operation of these presses
e The capacity of the press depends. te
Il large extent, upon the skill of the
e crew operating 1t. The average power
+ press should bale from 20 TO 80 toni
8 In 10-hour day.