64 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



but if these are allowed to dry in the sun for an hour or so, 

 the extra moisture rapidly evaporates. The amount of 

 water required is about 10 gallons for every 150 cubic feet 

 of stacked fodder. To enable the moisture to spread evenly, 

 heaps 14' x 3-5' x 3' are quite suitable. Some judgment is 

 required in baling the moistened fodder but a little practice 

 will avoid any danger of pressing too damp. The best stage 

 is when the fodder is just beginning to feel brittle. 



The baling experiments were duly carried out on August 

 1st, 1917, by means of the Boomer press at the Supply 

 Reserve Depot, Quetta, with lucerne- brought into condition 

 by damping as indicated above. Two kinds of bales were 

 made with the Boomer press — (1) with lucerne only and (2) 

 with chaffed lucerne and bhusa in equal parts by weight 

 mixed ready for feeding. The lucerne by itself was found 

 to be the more easily compressed. The size of a maund bale 

 of lucerne was 30" x 16 " x 13 " (equivalent to 97 cubic feet 

 to the ton). The size of the mixed lucerne and bhusa bale 

 was 31" x 17" x 13" (equivalent to 105 cubic feet to the ton). 

 The press had not been used for some time and was a little 

 out of adjustment or it would have been easy to compress to 

 90 cubic feet to the ton — the Army standard for pressed 

 bhusa. There is no doubt therefore that these leguminous 

 fodders can be compressed to the required degree. 



As regards keeping qualities, there is every reason to 

 believe that no danger need be apprehended from this source. 

 Several bales, made on August 1st, 1917, were opened during 

 the present year and the fodder in both the lucerne and 

 mixed bales was found to be in perfect condition with no 

 trace of sourness or mouldiness. 



Now that all the difficulties in converting these legu- 

 minous fodders from the green state into compact bales of 

 hay have been solved and many successful trials of the pro- 

 duct have been carried out, it only remains to suggest the 

 desirability of taking up similar work in localities such as 

 the Punjab, the Western Districts of the United Provinces 

 and Central India where some or all of these crops are easily 

 raised. A stock of such concentrated fodder would be of 



