THE ARTIFICIAL CURING OF ALFALFA HAY. 



29 



(Fig. 1.) The hay to be cured is fed into these conveyors by means 

 of an inclined elevator, the lower end of which is at a convenient 

 height for the haymakers that bring the supply from the held. The 

 top conveyor travels from front to rear a distance of 30 feet and there 



Flu. i. — Front view of hay-drying plant, showing driveway with shed for protection 

 from rain and inclined feed elevator connecting with building 30 by 12 feet in size and 

 20 feet high, in which the machinery of the kiln is installed. The smaller building at 

 the right contains the condensing apparatus; back of all are the boilers furnishing 

 power and heat. 



drops the hay to the conveyor immediately below, which travels in 

 the opposite direction. The hay passes back and forth in this manner 

 over the seven conveyors, and is finally delivered to a second shorter 

 discharge elevator (fig. 2) which communicates with the storage 



Fig. 2. — Side view of hay-drying plant, showing shorter elevator in the rear for delivery 

 of the cured product to the storage barn shown at the left. 



barn. A system of steam coils installed beneath the conveyors pro- 

 \ ides the means of maintaining the desired degree of heat. The kiln 

 erected in 1009 was provided with a condenser, so that it could be 

 operated in a closed circuit, free from the conditions of the external 

 air. Several test runs were made in the fall of 1900. 



[Cir. 1161 



