6 BULLETIN 979, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



them, either on end or flat, as in the tiers firs! described. As a rule, 

 however, that method of loading is best which allows the greatest 

 number of bales to be loaded in a regular order, because it is always 

 possible to load as many or more bales in regular order as in any 

 other way and buyers prefer that the hay be loaded in systematic 

 order. 



An exception to the rule just stated should be made for the loading 

 of new hay. This hay, when baled from the windrow or early in the 

 season, may contain so much moisture that it will heat and mold if 

 packed too closely in the cars. When loading new hay, the bales 

 should be placed on end and far enough apart to leave a small space 

 for the circulation of the air between the bales. It can then be 

 shipped a considerable distance without danger of heating and spoil- 

 ing. It is usually impossible to load a car to the required minimum 

 weight by this method but the premiums which early arrivals of hay 

 on the market usually command are generally more than equal to 

 the added cost of freight. 



Warehousing. 



The facilities of the shipper constitute a principal factor affecting 

 the loading of cars. If the country shipper has a warehouse into 

 which he can place the hay as delivered by the producer it is always 

 possible for him to grade the hay properly and to load the cars uni- 

 formly. This, however, is not always done. The hay as received 

 may be of fair uniformity as to grade, and competition for business, 

 especially if the demand is poor, may be such that the shipper can not 

 incur the expense of warehousing the hay and at the same time meet 

 the prices at which hay is being offered by his competitors. 



No complete data are available as to the cost of marketing hay 

 through a warehouse. Shippers estimate the cost at amounts rang- 

 ing from 75 cents to $1.50 per ton. In one instance, however, an 

 accurate record was kept of the cost of warehousing hay on rather a 

 large scale. In 1910 a company composed of prominent and exper- 

 ienced hay dealers was formed at Cleveland, Ohio", to handle hay in 

 an up-to-date manner through a modern warehouse. Railroad facili- 

 ties were good and no charges were made for switching hay to or from 

 the warehouse. It was the purpose of the company to buy from 

 country points where loading facilities were poor and ship on transit 

 privileges to the Cleveland warehouse, where the hay was to be un- 

 loaded, graded, reloaded, and forwarded to consuming sections. The 

 handling facilities were modern and labor costs were not high. It 

 was found, however, that the cost of unloading, classifying, grading 

 and reloading the hay was $1.09 per ton. The cost of the same opera- 

 tions in a warehouse not so efficiently operated would no doubt be 

 higher, while at country points where the labor required could be used 



