CHAPTER VI 



HANDLING THE HAY CEOP 

 REVOLVING HAYRAKE 



About the first contrivance for raking hay by horse 

 power consisted of a stick eight or ten feet long with 

 double-end teeth running through it, and pointing in 

 two directions. These rakes were improved from time 



Figure 143. Grass Hook, for working around borders where the 

 lawn-mower is too clumsy. 



to time, until they reached perfection for this kind of 

 tool. They have since been superseded by spring- 

 tooth horse rakes, except for certain purposes. For 

 pulling field peas, and some kinds of beans, the old 

 style revolving horse rake is still in use. 



Improved revolving horse rakes have a center tim- 

 ber of hardwood about 4x6 inches in diameter. The 

 corners are rounded to facilitate sliding over the 

 ground. A rake twelve feet long will have about eigh^ 

 teen double-end teeth. The teeth project about two 

 and one-half feet each way from the center timber. 



163 



