VOL. LXVII
INDI^ _f ^POLIS, JULY 13, 1912
NO. 28
Conserving Hay Crop
Ranks Third in Value With
All Crops Raised in
United States.
ADVANTAGES  DERIVED FROM  USING A HAY  PRES'S.
By Raymond Olney.
The American farmer is no less a
factor ln the fight for the conservation of our    national    resources  than
head of live stock came through the
winter in an extremely poor condition.
It was the wise, long-headed farmer,
who baled his hay early and thus
saved his stock from suffering for
lack of food during the extremely cold
winter and likewise saved himself a
large amount of money for expensive
feed.
Value of Hay Produced In U. S.
The hay crop exceeds in value any
other crop raised in the United States
excepting corn and cotton. It ranks
third in value.      Our annual hay crop
annually by farmers not knowing when
to cut or properly care for it. Some
think hay is hay, without realizing to
the  fullest extent,  that  hay is money.
Often, grass is left standing until it
is too ripe. As a result it naturally
loses a certain amount of its food
value. Also stock do not relish it as
they would if it had been cut when in
the proper condition. Often times,
hay is left too long in the swath and
gets very dry before it Is raked up.
Hay that has been in the field too long
becomes sun spoiled and in many cases
rain spoiled. This also largely decreases its food value.
Why should not a farmer be as particular about his hay crop as he is in
the production of other foodstuffs? He
would not think of leaving his oats or
his corn in the field until they had become   spoiled   by  the  weather.      Oood
will have the advantage of baling his
hay and straw at any time when he so
desires and when it is convenient for
him. By this means he is able to compress both his hay and straw into a
more compact and convenient form for
storage. They can then be placed under cover before a drop of rain depreciates their value for feed and other
purposes. Baling preserves the quality of these products and puts them in
such a form that they will remain
bright and clean.
In this day and age when lumber
prices are so enormously high, the
problem of storage for stock and feed
is an important one. The cost of barns
involves a large investment. Baled
hay has a decided advantage in this
respect. The bulk is reduced so that
the crop can be stored in a comparatively small space.     Where large barns
ft**'"
^^E!
'-A-—'.
4vU
*________m-m\_________\
:.-■-  •'_,   —"* SjSf*%.J*a__
A„j\.
All Hands Busy to  Save the Hay Crop.
are such men as Roosevelt, Pinchot,
aid many others. He ls behind the
Government ln all Its schemes for increasing crop production. He is interested ln the reclamation of arid
lands by irrigation and drainage. He
•Ivors the maintenance of forest rang-
ef». who yearly save hundreds of thous-
*idg of acres of valuable timber
lands.
Yet, at the same time, he willfully
aRd knowingly allows the elements
each year to consume or destroy a
cfop which is third In value of all
°ther crops raised in the United States.
1 am speaking now of our hay crop.
Last year after the harvesting season
nad passed, long continued rains came
'nlch destroyed a large percentage of
a" the hay that had not been baled
Promptly after harvest. This was folded by the hardest winter we have
e*Perlenced since 1860. The consequence was that hay went up to $30
Per ton and in some cases more. This
Placed many farmers in bad circumstances. Many of them found that
"ey had an insufficient amount of feed
° winter over their stock until spring.
•verythlng which could be used was
1. and many were compelled to spend
undreds of dollars for high-priced
**ds       Notwithstanding    this,     many
brings ln more money than does wheat.
It amounts to three times as much as
potatoes, twice as much as oats, and
nine times as much as tobacco.
In 1908 the hay crop was the largest that it ever has been up to the
present time. That year nearly 47,-
000,000 acres of land produced close
to 71,000,000 tons of hay. The estimated value of this crop was $635,-
423,000, which was third in rank of all
crops. It amounted to seven times
the gold crop for that year.
If all this hay had been baled. It
would have made a train 40,000
miles long, or it would have covered
192 square miles. If it were placed
three bales deep, it would have covered an area equal to the District of
Columbia. Or this same crop would
have made a belt 48 feet wide around
the world. To harvest such a crop
within a period of three weeks, would
require 260,000 mowers, 145,000 rakes
and 400,000 men and boys.
How Value of Hay Is .Lost.
The main reason why the yearly loss
of hay Is so great Is that some farmers
do not realize its full value and adopt
the proper methods of preserving It
Hny Is the most neglected of all our
big crops.    Millions of dollars are lost
hay ls practically as essential as the
other crops for feeding live stock.
And any means which is pursued to
maintain its food value and prevent
loss means money ln the farmer's
pocket.
The farmer's wife works over her
hot kitchen flre in the sultriest days
of summer canning and preserving
fruits and vegetables, which are to be
used as food during the winter months.
Yet at the same time, out-of-doors on
many a farm, that farmer's wealth of
grass is being destroyed by the elements, or saved only In part through
the wasteful methods of harvesting
and preserving lt. The value of those
preserved fruits and vegetables is but
a trifle as compared with the crop of
hay.
Baling Preserves Hay Best,
Baling of hay, straw and shredded
fodder is coming to be a universal practice. The time Is not far distant when
no farmer will permit the practice of
wasteful methods on nis farm ln harvesting and preserving his grass crops.
It only requires winters like the one
which has Just passed to prove conclusively the many advantages to be
derived by the use of the baling press.
A  farmer  owning'an   Individual  press
are   unprofitabe,   a   cheap,   temporary
roof ls sufficient storage for the bales.
Baled Hay Brings Higher Price.
By compressing the hay into convenient bales after the crop is harvested, it can be much more easily
and cheaply handled than it can in the
loose state. Hauling, shipping and
marketing are very greatly facilitated
by baling. A great saving Is effected
in feeding It out to stock as well. The
cost of labor in handling loose hay and
straw over and above that required to
do the same feeding, If the hay is baled,
would in most cases soon pay for a
baler. Baled hay retains from 20 to
50 per cent more food value than does
loose hay. One ton of it will sell for
three to six dollars more per ton, than
will loose hay, when hay is worth $12
per ton.
By thus putting the crop into the compressed form, it leaves the land clear
from hay and straw piles which would
otherwise be occupied. In this way
the work of fall plowing, and sowing
is not hindered by the presence of a
large number of stacks.
In short, the baling of hay ancL.straw
conserves and preserves to the farmer
and to the country at large one of the
most valuable of all crops raised on
our farms today.