PRESSING HAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 June 1938, Page 3

PRESSING HAY

CHEAP AND QUICK MEANS RESULTS FROM MACHINE The handling of large quantities of hay entails considerable labour and equipment if it is to be preserved in‘ a condition which is palatable to stock. The best hay is that which, after laying in the swathe, is put into good-sized cocks and left to mature and is then finally stacked. The cocking of hay prevents it from becoming weathered, and generally results in a first-class hay (writes T. A. Sellwood, instructor in agriculture, Oamaru, in the “Journal of Agriculture”). The change of conditions has •to a certain extent compelled the farmer to utilise methods which will decrease the‘ handling of the crop, but which will also result in a hay of good quality. . The recent improved machines for haymaking have helped considerably to do this, and a suitable machine for the' individual farmer is the portable hay-pressing machine. Mr J. Kingan, “Black Cap,” Kauru Hill, considers that the portable hay-presser is most suitable to the farmer who makes a point of conserving a good supply of hay for winter requirements. With the portable press he is able to handle the material at the right time. The pressing allows the material to be handled from the sweep to the presser, or the machine may travel along the swathe pressing the material as it goes. The machine is fitted with a 2-horse-power engine. The number of men required to work it is three —one on the wire, one for forking, and one on the sweep. With this machine Mr Kingan was able to press some 400-odd bales a day, and the total for the week was 2255 bales. During this operation four hours were lost through wet weather. The petrol consumption was' one gallon to a hundred bales. .The hay should be turned before pressing. The contractor’s price is lOd per bale, Therefore 2255 bales would cost £93 19s 2d. The machine costs £lO5 10s. One hundredweight of wire, which is sufficient for approximately six tons hay, colls £1 15s. i Labour-costs for men, have not been considered. The costs given are sufficient to show that the method adopted is well worth while. By the time Mr Kingan has completed his pressing the machine will have paid for itself in the present season, and will always be there for other seasons. For the farmer who requires five hundred to two thousand bales of hay the machine is a good investment. Mr Kingan is satisfied that this method is efficient and that the baled hay is a tremendous advantage when feeding stock in the winter, as the material is easier to handle and there is much less waste.