308 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 



loading machinery. A hitch here and the whole 

 work is delayed and often many men made idle. 



The Open Center Hay Barn. — There are several 

 advantages of building hay sheds and barns with 

 open centers. There is time saved for one thing, 

 since the hay is never lifted to the peak of the roof 

 till the height of the mow makes it necessary. Then 

 the hay never is dropped from a height, thus there 

 is not such hard packing of the middles. This pack- 

 ing often results in a good deal of spoiled hay, espe- 

 cially if it is put away rather moist. It is easier 

 on the men in the mow since they can push the hay 

 one way or the other as it drops and thus do quite a 

 little toward distributing it where needed. 



