438 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 
dropped from the platform out of the way of the horses and the 
machine. Usually men follow with forks and lay three or four 
gavels in a pile. These bunches shed rain and preserve the seed 
and straw in better condition than the single gavels, and the seed 
does not shatter so badly in handling the larger compact bunches 
as in handling the smaller ones. 
Some few growers cut the crop with a header, leaving the al- 
falfa in windrows across the field. This method is only satis- 
factory in a dry season, when the alfalfa is thrashed or stacked 
at once, as soon after harvest as possible. 
Many western growers harvest alfalfa with a binder. The usual 
practice has been to remove the binder part, but leave the pack- 
ers on and throw the bundles out loose, dropping in bunches by 
use of the bundle-carrier, or bunching with the fork as already 
described in the use of the self-rake reaper. In recent years, 
however, some prefer to bind the alfalfa in bundles and shock the 
same as wheat or other grain. The advantage claimed for this 
method is that it requires less help, since one man may do the 
harvesting and put the crop into the shock if help is scarce; the 
alfalfa may be cut a little greener, the seed does not shatter so 
readily, and the straw may cure and keep better than when put 
up loose. 
When bound and shocked the alfalfa should stand a couple of 
weeks, until dry enough to thrash. If put into the stack, thrash- 
ermen prefer to have it loose, as bundles are more apt to be damp 
and tough, but if fully dried when stacked alfalfa should keep well 
in the bundle. It is suggested to stack with layers of straw be- 
tween layers of alfalfa, in order to take up the moisture. 
Stacking and Thrashing.—The common practice, when it can be 
done, is to thrash from the field as soon after harvest as the seed 
is dry and the straw fully cured. If a machine cannot be secured 
and weather conditions are favorable for stacking, better put into 
the stack at once when the crop is cured than to run the risk of 
damage by wet weather. A single rain will not injure the alfalfa 
much if it is well bunched or cocked, but continued wet weather 
causes the seeds to swell and perhaps sprout, and when the pods 
dry they burst, scattering the seed. Some growers estimate that 
half of the seed is lost in this way by a few days of unfavorable 
weather. Also, if the crop is allowed to lie in the field for a long 
time there is more or less loss of seed from the effects of heavy 
dew and damage from mice and insects, and the longer the alfalfa 
lies the easier the pods break off and the seed shatters when it 
{s finally handled and stacked or thrashed, The largest amount 
ee i226. Sees 
