MANUAL OF PACK TKAKSrORTATION. 35 



tho mule by "bimching;" taking out the liay, as in fixing for a bunch 

 will not remove the trouble 



Having ribbed uj) as far as slit at center of stitch line, commence at 

 rear, using the smallest stick, increasing the (Uametei- of stick until 

 the center is again reached, and the aparejo is properly ribbed. 



The aparejo having thus been "ribbed up," in order "to lill the sides 

 or panels with hay, proceed as follows: 



Stand the aparejo up on its boots, the hand-holes facing out, and 

 procure a tamping stick; an old broom handle is good for the pur- 

 pose. 



Take a pocketknife or drawing knife and shave end of stick so as 

 to leave two sides flattened, tapering toward end of stick; thickness 

 at end, one-quarter inch. Concave or hollow the end on flat side, 

 so that it may grip the hay in tamping. In tamping manipulate this 

 stick with the hands; do not use a hammer. 



Introduce the hay through the hand-hole, a little at a time, and 

 press into the corners of boots. It is well to commence at front cor- 

 ners always. Tamp down with stick. In tamping do not hold the 

 hands well out from the aparejo, but rather lean the stick against the 

 top of aparejo; the point or end of stick is then not so apt to pass 

 between the ribs in tamping. 



Be careful in tamping corners that j^ou do not use too much hay at 

 one time, or in each course. You will thus be enabled all the better 

 to get the corners solid. This tamping should extend back about 6 

 inches from the corners on either side, and should be thoroughly done. 

 Be careful to get the four corners equal. Tamp lightly along center 

 of boot. Three or four courses of hay will fill the lengths of boots 

 4 inches in depth and thiclaiess or nearly so. 



Now, spread out the aparejo to its full length on the ground, or 

 place on bench, hand-hole upward, and introduce the hand to ascer- 

 tain if the ribs have been misplaced at top or bottom. 



Ribs being in place, proceed to fill along top or center. Use the 

 stick in pressing the hay into the corners under collar, and at the rear 

 of the aparejo, but only far enough back or toward you to enable the 

 hand to be used in filling the rest. Lay two courses through the body 

 of the aparejo, spreading each course evenly. Do not allow the hay 

 to lay in lumps, as it will "bunch" or wound the animal. 



After the aparejo has been used a while, and the hay has been well 

 settled in its place and made compact, the thickness of the filling 

 through the body should be about 2 inches. The aparejo should have 

 a thin appearance through the body; it should not appear stufl'ed 

 and swollen. 



The thickness of the fiilling decreases gradually from the boots to 

 the hand-hole of the aparejo, being about twice as great in the boots 

 as in the center of panel or hand-hole. 



At the top or center the normal thickness extends to within about 

 4 inches of the center stitch line, the thickness gradually decreasing 

 from there to the middle seam, where it is practically nothing. 



The packer now proceeds to put in additional filling, so as to adjust 

 the aparejo more accurately to the mule's shape, i. e., he proceeds to 

 "dress" or to face up the aparejo, as it is calfed. 



First, dress or face each front boot, the dressing to extend inward 

 each way from the front corner toward the hand-hole, say 7 inches, 

 and must be of oval shape. In introducing the hay hold the palm 



