Alfalfa in Kansas. 



Ill 



A report from Neosho county reads: 



"I have never been able to find a way to cure alfalfa so it can be baled 

 in the field without bleaching so badly that the price is affected. For 

 such hay I have been unable to get better than a No. 2 grade on at least 

 50 per cent of it." 



SIZE OF BALE. 



The type of bale generally used is oblong in shape, the dimensions 

 being 14 by 18 by 36 inches. Such bales will vary in weight from about 

 65 pounds up to about 85 pounds, and usually weigh between 70 and 80 

 pounds. 



STORING BALED' HAY. 



Nearly three-fourths of the growers reporting store their baled al- 

 falfa in barns or sheds. A few are in the habit of piling the bales out- 

 side, in the field, and covering them, but this is not 

 considered the 'best practice. Nearly one-fourth of 

 the reporters stated that it is their practice to load 

 cars direct from the baler and ship immediately. It 

 is important that there should be no. delay in getting 

 baled alfalfa under cover, either by proper storing 

 or by immediate shipping, to avoid exposure to the 

 weather. 



Reporters are almost unanimous in asserting that 

 bales should be piled on edge when stored. A Mont- 

 gomery county man wrote : "Always stack on edge. 

 Never stack flat unless you want moldy edges. 

 Leave spaces until dry, and restack closer." A 

 Neosho -county man wrote: "Store in barns. I 

 stack the bales on edge, laying one row of bales 

 across the other to bind, and leave a small air space 

 between the sides of the bales." In fact, most of the 

 growers mentioned the advisability of plenty of 

 ventilation around and between the bales. Some make 

 a practice of placing two-by-four-inch pieces of lumber on top of each layer 

 of bales, as a means of ventilation. Baled hay should not rest directly 

 upon the ground. 



FIG. 108. A hay hook, 

 for handling bales. 

 [Courtesy Stowe Supply 

 Company.] 



Fio. 109. It is important that there be no delay in getting alfalfa hay under cover. 

 [Courtesy Arizona Experiment Station.] 



