The spectator., 1919-09-19

0f tnlS type the pufcnaSeT SHouiu pd! especial attention to the power mech anism, the material used for impor- tant parts of the press, size of the feed opening, plunger return device, self-feeding attachment, and conve- nicnce 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 net 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. It has smaller hour capacity than the continuous-travel press and re quires 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 StueTuIN uSP IioNtl pitSSto. h''' 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 90 to 75 acres, for the reason that ] they will bale hay about twice as fast as 1t could be done with a 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 su- perseded by the gasoline or kerosene engine. With a gas engine there iS no need for an engine and a water haul CT. few owners employ an engineer when doing custom baling with n fast working crew because he keeps the en zine going and saves expensive loss of time on the part of tie 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 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 It costs less than the motor press. and since 1t would not be good business to use motor press while Il 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 heavy duty presses. the longevity of the press, as well as facts about the economic operation of these presses. The capacity of the press depends. to a large extent, upon the skill of the crew operating 1t. The average power press should bale from 20 to 30 tons in 10-hour day. The capacity of n power press under average conditions is about twice that of twO-horse press.
 Economy of Buying a Press.
 The advisability of buying a hay press depends upon the amount of hay to be baled yearly. the likelihood of being able to obtain crew when needed and the rate charged by those making business of doing custom bal ing. Whether it will pay the grower to own n press depends upon whether the total cost of baling. including la bor. repairs, interest and depreciation. is less than the rate charged by the | custom baler.
 The practice of baling hay directly from the windrow or cock originated In the Semiarid West. where the weath- CT does not often interfere with hay making. This method has also spread to the alfalfa and Johnson grass land areas of the South. where the weath- CT often is unfavorable. It is popu- lar because 1t saves labor as com pared with stacking or putting hay into the barn. For instance. In Kansas and Nebraska 1t requires about IF man hours and l horse hour to put ton of hay into the stack with a stack CT after it has been brought to the stack with push rake. The cost of labor for stacking alone. during 1918. was about GO cents a ton. This work Is entirely eliminated when hay Is baled from the field the saving of la- Dor being much greater In sections where 1t is customary to handle hay by hand. Growers are able to extend the hay-making season by balIng part of their hay from the windrow during propitious weather and stacking or holding the bsling until the rush of l work is over.