The spectator., 1919-09-19

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 Were it as easy and simple to save hay when it rains as it is to make hay when old Sol has his blast furnaces working to capacity, hay producing and marketing problems would, to cer- tain extent be Simplfied. To put a gauge on the weather man and to reg ulate the amount of dew, rain and sunshine served out during the hay making season. would be the hay farm | CTS dream of Utopia. Although the | hay raiser cannot cash in on any such q vision, he can materially improve his hay revenue by more careful mar ket preparation of his cash crop of | forage. Uncle Sam wants to help every farmer to make the most of his surplus hay crop, and hence he has just published Farmers Bulletin 1049 which is replete in helpful hints and practical suggestions on when, why, and how to bale hay and manage bal ing crews.
 Hay is graded according to the way in which it is baled. Bales of uni form size and of neat, attractive ap- pearance bring top prices. other con ditions being equal, while ragged, un- slightly bales are penalized In baling hay for market. various practices are in operation: some are followed un- consciously in order to avoid extra work, while others are followed de- liberately with intent to deceive the buyer, which tends to lower the mar ket value of hay in the bale ire Spective of it's actual quality.
 The new department of agriculture publication describes the various types If hay presses. discusses their adapta- bllity and operation under different conditions. and gives detailed informa- ton concerning the management of bal ing crews. The question of owning press or hiring the work of baling Is rather fully considered, as it is be- lieved that many hay growers who now hire custom balers would do well to give careful consideration to the ad- vantages that may accrue from hay irg a press on the farm.
 Types of Presses Discussed.
 Presses are divided into three classes according to the manner in which the bale is made-loose or box presses. perpetual or continuous presses, and round-bale presses. These machines are operated either by horse power or by steam, gasoline or kero- Sene engines The perpetual press. which is the most popular type in all sections where hay Is grown for mar ket. features continuous pressing; that Is. hay is fed into the press, fork ful at a time. and the finished bale is discharged from the opposite end of the bale chamber without stopping the press If the hay is properly fed into the press il will be easy to separate the bale into as many portions for feeding as there are numbers of charges in the bale, which varies from d or & to 15 or 20. The first box presses were operated by hand. but now they are run by horsepower or by engines. The box press always makes bales hav- | ing the same or "even" length, q very valuable feature when loading cars. Round Bale New Kind.
 One of the most recent types Of presses makes cylindrical bale. bound with binding twine and having an air space running lengthwise through its center. This press was designed so that hay baled from the windrow would cure out after it was baled, the | hole Tn the center being intended to allow air to circulate through the bale and prevent heating. This bale is not as easily torn apart as the continu- ously pressed bale 1t being necessary to chop or split 1t lengthwise with an ax or other edged implement. When round bales are fed in open hunks or on the ground in the feed lot. they are not opened; the animal pulls out the hay by mouthful at time. It is claimed that this way of feeding the hay prevents waste.
 One-horse. perpetual presses. made by reliable concerns, are capable of turning out the same kind of bales as are made by the regulation two. horse presses. They are designed for the farmer who has small average of hay, and they can be especially rec commended for the small hay grower | if he Is in a section where little hay is grown and where hay presses are scaycc and hard to hire. The only ob- lection to this type of press is It's small production day. If the pros pective purchaser is in doubt as to which size to buy. 1t would probably bc 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 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