MARKETING FARM PRODUCTS 419 



loses from 10 to 15 per cent in weight by the time it has 

 gone through the " sweat." Sometimes the loss is less 

 than 5 per cent, and sometimes it is over 20 per cent. 

 Clover and alfalfa usually lose more than timothy. 



After hay has passed through the " sweat," it loses 

 very little. After this time, if damp weather follows dry 

 weather, it will often gain in weight. 



H. W. Gilbertson reported eight cases in which from 

 7 to 15 tons of baled hay were stored from one to three 

 months. The dates of baling varied from October 1 to 

 December 22. The average time stored was 61 days. 

 The total amount of hay in the eight lots was 185,038 

 pounds. The total loss from shrinkage and shattering 

 was 2264 pounds, or 1.2 per cent. Most of the lots were 

 timothy, but some were clover and timothy mixed. It 

 is evident that there is very little shrinkage of hay after 

 it is dry enough to bale. 



There is more loss from shattering than from shrink- 

 age. Gilbertson also reported the losses from shrinkage 

 and shattering on 18 car loads of hay shipped to New 

 York by one dealer. The hay was baled at different 

 times during the year, and came from different farms. 

 The total weight in the barns at time of baling was 399,378 

 pounds. The average time of storage was 73 days. The 

 loss from shrinkage and shattering in hauling and ship- 

 ping and errors in weights was 15,533 pounds, or nearly 

 4 per cent. 



On 20 other car loads, the loss from shattering and errors 

 in weights amounted to an average of nearly 1 per cent. 



Potatoes shrink by loss of water from the individual 

 potatoes, by loss of adhering dirt, by freezing, and rot. 

 On only the first of these are figures of any general value. 

 The other shrinkages apply to individual cases only. 



