322 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



This rick of silage and charred hay would have 

 burned had we helped it by opening it and admitting 

 air at the right time. By leaving it alone it died 

 from smothering; there was not oxygen enough in 

 the mass to make it burn. There are, however, a 

 good many instances of spontaneous combustion oc- 

 curring in alfalfa ricks and mows in Kansas where 

 the very rank growths are often put up without suffi- 

 cient drying. It is notable that in many instances 

 recorded the fire breaks out after the farmer be- 

 comes alarmed at the hotness of his mow or stack 

 and goes to open it out, when it gets air, takes fire 

 and burns. It is doubtful if there would often occur 

 a case of spontaneous combustion if the barn was 

 fairly tight and no air was let in by braces or beams 

 running into the mow. The best thing usually 

 when one fears spontaneous combustion in mow or 

 stack is to watch it and carefully avoid opening it 

 or doing anything to let the air into the mass. 



I once put green oat hay into the mow, a great 

 many tons of it, and spontaneous combustion set in 

 in this mow, and steam filled the lower story for 

 days. We kept adding hay above and thought little 

 of it. The mass cooled down, but when the hay was 

 taken out there were tons of charred hay that could 

 not be handled with the fork. It seems that had we 

 dug into the mass we would have lost the barn. 



There is practically no danger of spontaneous 

 combustion unless the hay is put in much too green 

 and moist. 



