HAY AND GREEN FEED 57 



replaced bulk hay upon the market. Of course all hay 

 that enters commercial channels is baled, bulk hay being 

 confined to the local market. Even for use upon the farm 

 or ranch the hay may be baled for convenience in hauling 

 and storing. As baled hay occupies only 140 to 160 cubic 

 feet to the ton there is a great saving of space over hay 

 sold in bulk. The standard bale weighs 70 to 250 pounds; 

 the small bale, much used in the South, 70 to 100 pounds; 

 the medium bale, 100 to 150 pounds, and the large bale, 

 requiring two men to handle, 150 to 250 pounds. 



Any kind of hay, straw, or fodder may be baled, but 

 the baled hay in commerce in the United States consists 

 mostly of timothy, prairie hay, alfalfa, and grain hay, the j 

 latter largely confined to the Pacific coast. The classes of 

 hay recognized in the East by the National Hay Associa- 

 tion are timothy, clover-mixed (timothy and clover), 

 clover, and prairie, with two to five grades each. For 

 transportation to trans-oceanic points, especially Alaska 

 and the Philippines, the hay may be double compressed. 

 For this purpose hay obtained by loosening ordinary 

 bales is compressed by powerful hydraulic or electric 

 presses similar to those used for compressing the cylindri- 

 cal bales of cotton. The resulting bale is very compact, 

 the square form occupying 85 cubic feet to the ton, and 

 the cylindrical bales only 55 cubic feet. (See Farmers' 

 Bulletin No. 508.) 



SOILING AND SILAGE CROPS 



74. Soiling is the system of feeding to animals in in- ^ 

 closures green forage recently cut from the growing plants. 



Silage is the system of preserving fresh green forage in , 

 suitable more or less air-tight receptacles. 



