60 RANCHING IN THE CANADIAN WEST 



for the stack, where it is left. The horses are then 

 turned round and draw the " sweep " away, to 

 repeat the process down another winrow, while a 

 third man shapes the stack as the loads are brought 

 in. When a good foundation of hay has been thus 

 collected, three barked pine-poles of about 20 feet 

 in length are placed in a slanting position, one end 

 on the ground and the other resting on the top of 

 the accumulated pile of hay, and the next load 

 brought in sails up the poles into its place on top, 

 the teams passing each side of the stack, at which, 

 when it has reached a fair height, the horses fre- 

 quently have to be put to a gallop in order to rush 

 the hay up. If the horses are fairly heavy, however, 

 and a little grease be applied to the three skids, 

 no difficulty should be experienced in building a 

 stack at least 25 feet high. 



Excellent labour-saving devices, which have 

 proved of great assistance to the small man with 

 perhaps but one helper, are the sling and derrick- 

 poles, which are to be bought quite cheaply. (A 

 handy man can make his own sling, and two tall 

 pines would give him his poles, presuming they are 

 procurable.) With the requisite tackle and a single 

 horse it is possible to lift a ton of hay bodily from 

 the waggon-rack, swing it over the stack, and dump 

 it into its place . 



