HAY AND GREEN FEED 55 
prevent molding when stored. In dry, sunny weather 
little difficulty is experienced in producing good hay; but, 
in humid climates, hay-making is a process requiring much 
care. Rain and dew delay the drying and reduce the 
quality of the hay, or they may render the product entirely 
worthless. It is readily seen that weather conditions 
become an important factor in hay-making. Putting hay 
in cocks and covering with some kind of impervious shield 
is an attempt to prevent the absorption of water. 
69. In arid regions the hay may be cut and stacked 
the same day, but in humid regions the curing may extend 
over several days with the corresponding risk from rain. 
Succulent plants, such as clover, alfalfa and cowpea, 
demand especial care because the stems require a longer 
time than the leaves for curing. The foliage drops off 
readily and is lost when there is much delay in curing. 
As the leaves are the most important part, this loss 
becomes serious. The vines of cowpea and velvet bean 
are so succulent that special methods of curing are fre- 
quently adopted. It is a common practice in the South 
to cure the vines on upright racks or poles so as to 
allow a circulation of air. A single pole with the vines 
arranged around it, makes a tall, slender bunch or cock 
that gives much lateral surface in proportion to the area 
of the top. 
70. Stacks.—Hay that is stacked in the open deterio- 
rates on the exposed portion and there is a considerable 
percentage of loss from the weathering of the outer por- 
tion of the stack. Careful building of the stack and a 
covering of reeds or canvas reduces the loss. Hay stored 
in barns suffers practically no loss, and in sheds only in 
proportion to the exposed surface. On the large ranches 
of the West it is impracticable to store in barns the large 
