510 HAKUISON COUNTY, IOWA. 



strike the uprights, tlie hay falls off on the stack. The weight, 

 W, must be a little lighter than the rake, so that the rake in 

 descending, will draw it up. This weight assists the horse to 

 start the load, and continues to assist him, until it strikes the 

 ground. As the load is drawn up from this point, the weight 

 is again raised, and is thus suspended in the air ready to draw 

 the rake down as soon as the horse is backed up. 



To use the stacker, one man is needed to stack the hay, 

 one horse to elevate it, and one man to drive said horse and keep 

 all tiie hay cleaned up that falls back when being elevated ; 

 also two hands and teams to run the rakes. 



THE FIELD RAKE. 



The field rake, as illustrated on the preceding page, is 

 about twelve feet long. It is so constructed that it will take 

 up the liay just as it was left by the mower. The team is 

 hitched to the tongue, as shown in the diagram. Tiie driver 

 sits on the scat, with one foot on the axle on each side of the 

 tongue. The axle revolves about a bolt passing through it 

 and the lEongue. The wheels are ordinary cultivator wheels. 

 The driver guides the rake with his feet. The rake being 

 loaded Avith hay is then driven to the stacker, coming up 

 squarely in front of the stacker rake ; its load is pushed on to 

 this rake, the teeth of the field rake passing between the teeth 

 of the stacker rake. The team is then backed out, the hay being 

 held on the stacker rake by the prongs, as shown in the figure. 



SOIL. 



My soil is a rich sandy loam, which is very remarkable for 

 its power to withstand excessive wet or drouth. There is 

 plenty of timber for firewood and fence posts, which is well 

 distributed. The beautiful rolling prairies, the broad expanse 

 of Missouri bottom land, almost every acre susceptible of culti- 

 vation, the far-famed Boyer valley, railroads leading north, 

 east, south and west, villages, schools and churches, the dry 

 and healthy climate, all combine to render this portion of our 

 country a very desirable farming locality. 



