July, 1933] Roughage Production in New Hampshire 31 



Table 27. Hours of labor- by operations per aare and per ton on 2^,626.5 tons of all 



hay on 16,676.5 acres. 



the area in hay. Rough, steep, small fields and a small total area in 

 hay will need smaller machines and will require more labor per 

 acre and per ton than large level fields and a large area in hay. The 

 size of mower and its relation to area in hay and labor required are 

 shown in Table 28. The four-foot mower is too small for efficient work 

 while the seven-foot machine is almost entirely tractor operated. From 

 the point of view of labor saving, there is little choice between a five 

 and a six-foot mower when replacement is necessary. 



Cutting was done at any and all times of the day. The most 

 common practice was to cut in the morning as soon as the dew was off, 

 raking just before or right after dinner, and hauling the next morn- 

 ing. Many cut in the afternoon, the hay was raked in the late after- 

 noon, stirred out in the morning aiul hauled in the afternoon. A very 

 few, because of the large area in hay, cut any time and all day except 

 in case of rain. Poor curing weather will slow up the process some, 

 but the decided tendency to handle hay less by hand in the field and 

 barn will shorten the time under the old methods and produce a better 

 quality of roughage. 



Table 28. Variations in width of mower used and in hours per acre and 



per ton cutting. 



Width of Area Hours Hours 



mower — feet per farm — acres per acre per ton 



4 20.0 2.55 1.76 



5 39.8 1.29 .93 



6 50.1 1.20 .80 



7 93.6 .80 .56 



''Drying" in the swath is receiving less and less favor. A better 

 quality of hay is ordinarily produced where raking is done, preferably 

 with a side-delivery rake, within three or four hours of cutting. Tlie 

 hay is allowed to cure in the windrow. If stirring is necessary after 



