HAY FORKS 



163 



and alfalfa crops in America is pressed into bales before packing. 

 Portable balers are used on thousands of farms. They may be 

 operated either by engines or by horse power. In the latter case, 

 a sweep is used, the horse or team being driven in a circle. The 

 hay is fed into the machine either by hand tools or by an auto- 

 matic arm on the machine. As each bale is pressed, it is tied with 

 two or more wires running lengthwise around the bale. Three 

 standard sizes of bales are found. The cross sections in inches 

 are 14 x 18, 16 x 18 and 17 x 22. The lengths of the bales may be 

 varied during the baling process, but commonly vary from 38 

 to 42 inches. 



Hay forks of several types are used in handling loads of hay. 

 The double harpoon fork, the single harpoon fork, the grapple 

 hay fork, and the derrick hay fork are all found in different sec- 

 tions where hay is being made. A wagon hay sling is a stretcher 

 of ropes and poles. This spreads over the back of the hay wagon 

 and allows for the handling of a large amount of hay at once. 

 Three or four slings are enough for one wagon load. 



The feeding values of some of the leading forage crops are 

 given in the following table. The table also shows fertilizer 

 ingredients contained in these crops: 



