268 AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING 



forks. One does not seem to have any special advantage over 

 the other. The chain is the more flexible connection and 

 costs less to repair than a broken gear when an accident 

 occurs. 



MACHINES FOR FIELD STACKING 



In many localities where hay is one of the principal crops 

 it is common practice to stack the hay in the field until a time 

 when it may be disposed of either as loose hay or by baling 

 and shipping. The factory-made machines used for field 

 stacking are the sweep rake and the stacker. Each of these 

 machines may be secured in a variety of styles. 



Sweep Rakes. The sweep rake may be a simple affair 

 drawn over the stubble on skids or runners, or it may be 



Fig. 169. A haying scene showing an over-shot stacker and sweep 

 rakes at work. 



mounted upon wheels with elaborate mechanism for balanc- 

 ing and raising the teeth. With some of these rakes the 

 team is divided and one horse placed at either side, and with 

 others the team is hitched to a tongue in the rear. The 

 latter type, generally called the three-wheeled rake, is the 

 more expensive and, although the team may be handled to 

 better advantage, is difficult to guide. 



