DRYING HAY BY ARTIFICIAL MEANS.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1627, 7 December 1882, Page 3

DRYING HAY BY ARTIFICIAL MEANS.

TO TIIK RDITOH. Sis, — JfiiYing,riihch%ribh!some hltereib W article published in b recent ifesue of yonv paper resppcfcingijivontions for the artificial dvyiug of hay, I enclose an extiacton tfie same subject from the Br'tthh Trade Joumali October number, which Mill probably interest some of your readers. — Yours, &c, F. J. Bhooks, Cambridge, 'sth Dec. 18& J. '

The trial of machines for drying hay ami corn by artificial means, which began -at Reading in July last in connection with the Koyal Agricultural Show, have ended as we anticipated. After a series of tests extending over two months, the judges report that they do not fuel justified in awarding the prize of 100 guineas offered for the best machine. The eight competitors represented aH the for drying hay or corn artificially at present before the public. Six of them employed exhaust-fans for drying in the stack, one applied hot air before stacking, and the other adopted a system of ventilation assisted by hot air after stacking. The two last-named systems were only tried on hay, but a selected thieoof tlie various > adaptations of Ncilson's system weic submitted to an extended tiial, both on hay and bsnley, and all of them upon hay in the stack. The judges decided that none of the exhibitors proved th.it they weic able to make good hay in wet weather. In a lew instances, where really good hay Mas obtained, equally good, if not better, might have been seemed without the application of f.ws. Tho trials of the three selected fans upon corn were even lcsi satisfactory than those upon hay, none of the machines having .succeeded ineffectually drying the corn in the btack. When produce of these trials was sold by auction a great deal of Avh.it was by courtesy termed iiay, went for bare litter price. As an instance of what may occur through the bad stacking of damp grass, we may mention that one rii-k to be dried by a hand-fan, sAvelled out enormously, so that instead of being 20 feet in diameter the base measured 32 feet.'