Alfalfa in Kansas. 247 



During the present season many stacks have burned to the ground as 

 the result of stacking under unfavorable weather conditions when much of 

 the hay was too wet. 



When such a stack begins to heat there is nothing one can do abso- 

 lutely to prevent fire. Opening the center will only admit air, which 

 starts the flames at once. Burning may often be prevented by using 

 some means to keep air away from the heated portion. Pouring water on 

 the sides, covering completely with saturated blankets and canvas, will 

 help on stacks which are small enough to be treated by such means. 

 Fire extinguishers can do little good, because they can not reach the fire. 

 Steam from traction engines can not be confined sufficiently to help. As a 

 last resort, a small portion of the hay may be saved by pulling it away 

 after the flames are beyond control. The stack should never be opened, 

 however, until flames actually appear. 



Such a loss will sufficiently emphasize the advisability of thorough 

 curing before storing alfalfa hay. 



SALTING AND LIMING HAY. 



Sprinkling each load with salt or lime as it is put down is frequently 

 done to prevent heating. There is not sufficient accurate information at 

 hand to say that such practice is worth while. Lime does not improve 

 the quality of hay for feeding purposes, and it is doubtful if either salt 

 or lime have any value in the prevention of heating. 



Either of them will prevent the growth of molds if present in suffi- 

 cient quantity, but when enough for such a purpose is added the feeding 

 value of the hay is greatly reduced. (See "Spontaneous Combustion" and 

 "Molding," in index.) 



A DAY'S WORK IN HAYING. 



From "Weekly News Letter of U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



In order that haying or any other farm work may be planned in ad- 

 vance or performed properly from season to season, it is essential to 

 know what may fairly be expected daily of a workman for each kind of 

 work. It is also necessary to know .what may be expected from any 

 kind and size of implement, from each horse or team, or other source of 

 power. Finally, it is important to know how much should be accom- 

 plished by different-sized groups of workmen working with different 

 machinery, power and tools. With such knowledge at hand, the farmer 

 can with fair accuracy assign a given number of days as being neces- 

 sary to handle a given acreage of a crop, and can, therefore, arrange 

 to have the work done systematically and without pressure that may 

 call for the sudden employment of extra teams or the hiring of emer- 

 gency help. In any such calculations, of course, the farmer's plans may 

 be upset by weather which prevents the carrying on of operations, but in 

 each locality the average weather conditions are fairly well known and 

 are taken into account in planning the work in the field. 



The Office of Farm Management of the department, with the object 

 of getting definite information with regard to how much work could be 

 expected in the different haying operations, as well as in other field 



