6 BULLETIN 9^78, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the beam begins to rise or fall (whichever the case may be), but the 

 bale is removed or pushed off the scale to make room for another be- 

 fore the beam comes to a balance. Such weights may easily be in- 

 correct to the extent of from 5 to 10 pounds. The argument in de- 

 fense of this practice is that while some bales will be overweight, 

 probably a like number will be underweight, so that the total weight 

 of the whole lot will be approximately correct. 



Another practice which does not insure correct weights is that of 

 weighing a few bales, usually from 10 to 25, and using their average 

 weight to compute the weight of the entire lot. This is not only the 

 practice of some balers, but is a recognized method of weighing in 

 some of the larger terminal markets. 



It is claimed that in some markets if, when making this test weight, 

 it is found that the bales actually weigh more than is indicated on 

 the tags, the tag weights are used as the official weight. One instance 

 is related where a shipper whose returns from a terminal market 

 were always a few hundred pounds short of his.invpiced weights hit 

 upon the plan of marking the weights on the tags.. -of a few bales 

 near the doorways a few pounds less than the actual weights, his 

 thought being that when it was found that the actual weights were 

 more than the amount indicated on the tags, the invoice weight sup- 

 posed to be computed from the tag weights would be accepted, and 

 he therefore would be paid the full amount of his invoice. 



The careless or improper marking of the tags causes considerable 

 trouble and loss to handlers of hay and should be discontinued. The 

 most flagrant practice is probably that of marking the tags before 

 the time they are to be used. The numbers placed upon the tags 

 are those supposed to represent approximately the weights of the 

 bales made by the press that will bale the hay. Sometimes a few of 

 the first bales pressed are weighed and the tags for these and the 

 remainder of the hay are marked from these weights. In the latter 

 instance the weight on the tags would become average weights simi- 

 lar to those obtained in the terminal markets by weighing a few 

 bales from each car. The difficulty, however, is that the bales may 

 not run uniform throughout the carload, but may vary as much as 

 25 pounds, because it is frequently necessaiy to loosen or tighten the 

 tension on the bales as hays varying in texture, or moisture content 

 are being baled. 



PROPER METHODS OP WEIGHING BY THE BALE. 



To weigh hay correctly by the bale it is necessary : 

 First, to have reliable scales in good condition and in balance (see 

 fig. 2). 



