BULLETIN 641, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



LOADING, HAULING, AND PUTTING HAY INTO THE BARN. 



The crew most generally used in the Xew York area is one of four 

 men and two horses. On the 52 Xew York farms there were found 

 30 four-man crews, 13 three-man crews, 7 two-man crews, 1 eight- 

 man crew, and 1 six-man crew. Small crews do not as a rule keep 

 any horse or team at the barn, the team used for hauling being also 

 used for hoisting. (See figs. 1 and 2.) 



In the cases of about half of the four-man crews one man remains 

 at the barn to drive the team :n the hay fork while unloading, and 

 does nothing at other times. In such cases the fourth man is usually 

 an old man or boy unable to work at loading. The four-man arrange- 

 ment allows two men to work in the mow, enough to put the hay away 

 in good shape. 



Fig. 1.— Hay loader in operation. The loader saves time and puts hay on the wagon more cheaply than 



it can be pitched by hand. 



When six, seven, or more men are used, there is a barn crew of from 

 three to four who do all of the unloading, the driver unhitching from 

 the load when reaching the barn and taking an empty wagon back to 

 the field. The two-man crew allows one man to work in the mow 

 and one to stick the hay fork and drive the hoisting team. 



In the Pennsylvania area there were found 4 four-man crews, 27 

 three-man crews. 1 two-man crew, 3 seven-man crews, and 2 six-man 

 crews. (See Table IX. 



The amount of hay handled per crew per hour is about 1.50 tons 

 for the Xew York group and 1 for the Pennsylvania group, at a cost 

 of 69 cents and 06 cents, respectively. 



