THE WEIGHING OF MARKET HAY. 3 



as the bales are weighed, and when the weighing is finished these 

 amounts are added to obtain the total weight of the hay. To avoid 

 errors the weight of every bale should be tabulated and the number 

 of drafts should be checked with the number of bales weighed. 



Tags upon which the weights of the bales of hay have been placed 

 are used for recording weights when it is desired that knowledge as 

 to the weight of each bale shall be available to the various agencies 

 interested in the marketing of the hay. These tagged weights are 

 frequently used through all the transactions connected with the mar- 

 keting of the hay. Each person who wishes to know the weights of a 

 given number of bales copies the amounts from the tags onto his tally 

 sheets, from which total weights may be obtained. 



KINDS OF TAGS USED. 



Various kinds of tags are used, varying from a piece of paper to 

 a small piece of wood (see fig. 1). Cardboard or a heavy stock of 

 paper similar to that used for shipping tags is most frequently 

 employed, and the size of the tags varies from that of a strip 

 about 1 by 2 inches to a piece about 2 inches square. Some tags 

 of standard size and quality are found, but the greater number are 

 still cut from any available material by the producer, baler, or dealer 

 who tags the hay. In some sections small wooden tags similar to 

 those used in marking trees and shrubs for shipment are used in- 

 stead of paper, as they are more substantial and can be more easily 

 attached to the bale. New York and some other States have laws 

 regulating the size of the tags. Such laws were found necessary be- 

 cause of abuses in the use of wooden tags. Occasionally large pieces 

 of wood or small slabs weighing one or more pounds were found, 

 which added materially to the weight of the bale. 



ATTACHING THE TAGS. 



Tags are attached to the bales by placing them under one of the 

 baling wires. The hay hook used for handling the hay is usually 

 forced under the wire, which is pulled away from the bale sufficiently 

 to allow the tag to be placed under it. The hook is then removed 

 and the tension of the wire holds the tag in place. 



It is better to place the tag on the end of the bale, because in that 

 position it is not so likely to be torn off in the handling of the hay. 

 It is more difficult, however, to place it on the end of the bale, be- 

 cause of the great pressure of the hay against the wires at that 

 point, and it is therefore more often placed upon the side of the bale. 

 It has been stated that, while a few tags are lost in handling, if the 

 hay is well baled and the tags are carefully attached but little diffi- 



