HAYING TOOLS. 
The helps of the western man who makes much 
alfalfa hay are the wide-cut mowers, the side deliv- 
ery and wide two-horse rakes, the sweep rakes that 
gather the hay together and carry it with no handling 
to the stack or mow and the big forks or slings that 
by the aid of derricks or pitchers lift the hay to the 
stack top or put it in the barn with no fork handling 
whatever till it comes to hand of the man in the mow, 
or the stackers on the stack. 
The Side Delivery Rake—This is a tool not in 
universal use as yet. It has indeed its limitations 
and imperfections. It is slower to gather the hay 
than the wide two-horse sulky rake. It is more com- 
plicated, so more apt to get out of order. It costs 
more. On the other hand it can do many good things 
that the common rake cannot do at all. It can sin- 
gle out and rake the driest hay, and can turn it up 
loosely so that air can penetrate it and yet further 
dry it. It can be used to turn these windrows over 
if need be to dry them further. Hay may be cocked 
after the side delivery rake to good effect, or it may 
be taken up with the hay loader. On the whole, the 
writer does not see how a farmer making much al- 
falfa hay can avoid using each of these machines. 
The side delivery rake when everything is working 
nicely, weather, men and tools; the wide two-horse 
(302) 
