PRESERVATION OF FORAGE 27 



curing peanut vines and are also very useful for cowpeas 

 and similar viny plants. 



A less simple, but more effective device is the pyramid, 

 which permits of making larger cocks with an open air 

 space in the interior. Numerous forms of pyramids have 

 been devised, even metal ones being used in Europe. 

 They consist essentially of three or four legs jointed at 

 the top and sometimes sharpened below so that they can 

 be pushed firmly into the ground. Cross pieces joining 

 the legs are also useful. The legs are commonly 6 to 8 

 feet long. A form devised at the Tennessee Experiment 

 Station is so joined at the top that the three legs come 

 together when the pyramid is not in use. 



Still more elaborate frames are sometimes used for 

 cowpeas, combining the characteristics of a pyramid and 

 of a permanent stack. It is a common practice in stack- 

 ing cowpea hay not completely cured to make alternate 

 layers of hay and of wooden rails. The rails prevent the 

 hay from matting and facilitate curing by permitting the 

 circulation of the air. Such a stack is greatly improved 

 by supporting the rails at each end, so that the air may 

 more easily circulate between the layers of hay. 



Hay caps are also very desirable to protect cocks from 

 rain. The form most commonly used consists of a piece 

 of canvas about one yard square with a weight at each 

 corner. By the use of a hay cap the hay cock is protected 

 from the rain that falls directly upon it. 



If hay be stacked on low, wet ground, the bottom por- 

 tion becomes ruined by the absorption of moisture. This 

 may be prevented by building the stack on a raised stage. 

 Where hay is annually cut on wet meadows which become 

 overflowed, permanent hay stages built on a level above 

 high water mark are often employed. 



