S T A 



ation, are admirable contrivances in fnch like feafons ; and 

 that if proper care be taken in forming and making of them, 

 to keep the middle parts well up, fi> as that the butt-ends 

 of the (heaves may have a confidcrable Hope outwards, the 

 corn will receive no dama-e, though it were to remain in 

 the field a month or fix'weeks, or perhaps longer. See 

 Stacking Grain. 



Stack, Sheep Hay, a name fometimes applied to that fort 

 of low, circular, diverging form of hay-ftack, in fome dif- 

 trids, which was formerly had recourle to about farms, for 

 (heep to feed at during the feverity of the winter feafon. 

 This littering, walleful, and fiovenly mode of foddering 

 flieep ha^ now mollly been done away by the great value of 

 hay, and the introduftion of proper (heep-yards, with fuit- 

 able contrivances for the purpofe. See Sheep- /"(V/v/. 



Stacks, Supporting of, the practice of propping and 

 flioring them up, where they may happen to lean or incline 

 too much to either fide, fo as to be in danger of falling with- 

 out fuch aid and aflillance. In thofe of the grain kind, it is 

 always a good praAice to arm and eafe the props, or polls, 

 which are made ufe of for the purpofe, with a (heet of tin, 

 njiled round them, at more than halfway up, in fomewhat 

 the form of an inverted funnel, as this ferves to flop vermin 

 in their progrefs and attempts to get up and into the flacks ; 

 and tin, on account of its cheapnefs and polifhed furface, is 

 found particularly well fuited to the purpofe. 



The props or pods for this ufe (hould, in all cafes, have 

 fufficient ftrength, and be firmly fet up to or againft the 

 Hacks ; having a portion of ftrong thick board laid to the 

 Hacks, where their upper ends come againit them, to pre- 

 vent their entrance into them. 



This method is found to fucceed well in the praftice of 

 forae fanners in Gloucefterlhire, according to the corrected 

 account of the agriculture of that diltrict. 



SxACK-^arx, a term applied to the large bars or hurdles 

 by which hay-ftacks in fields are inclofed and fecured. 



The bars and hurdles for inclofing Hacks (hould always be 

 of a proper thicknefs and ftrength, fo as not to readily gife 

 way, but refill any ftrefs that may be brought againft them 

 by animals, in getting at the hay, or in any other way. 

 They (hould alfo be put fo near together in the fence, as to 

 prevent any hurtful fort of animal from getting at them. 



STACK-Guard, a cloth or other covering fufpended over 

 flacks, during the time of their being built, to prote£l them 

 from rain, &c. It is applicable both to the fecuring of 

 corn and hay-ftacks, as well as thofe of other kinds. It is 

 ufual for this purpofe to employ a large fheet of fail or 

 other cloth, which anfwers perfedlly, and prevents much 

 injury and lofs in wet bad feafons. In the diftri6ts of Kent 

 and Surrey, the old or half-worn fails of (hips are, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Mar(hall, made ufe of as guards for (tacks. 

 But he thinks, that a fail-cloth, thrown over and immedi- 

 ately upon the hay of a ftack in full heat, is liable to do 

 more injury, by increafing the heat, and at the fame time- 

 checking the afcent of the vapour or ileam, than fervice ia 

 (hooting oft' rain-water. 



The improved method of fprcading the cloth, which he 

 obferved in the diftrift of Maidftone, in the former of the 

 above counties, is, he fays, this : Two tall poles, ufers, fir- 

 balks, are ftcpped firmly into two cart-wheels, which are 

 laid flat upon the ground at each end of the ftack, and 

 loaded with ftones to incrcafe their firmnefs. Another pole 

 of the fame kind, and fomewhat longer than the ftack, is 

 furnilhed at each end with an iron ring or hoop, large 

 enough to admit the upright poles, and to pafs freely upon 

 them. Near the head of each of the ftandards is a pulley, 

 ©ver which a rope is pafl"ed from the ring, or end of the hori- 



S T A 



zontal pole, by which it is eafily raifed or lowered, to fuit 

 the given height of the ftack. In the mftance obferved, the 

 rick was begun with two loads of hay ; yet even thefe two 

 loads were as fecurely guarded from ram, until more could 

 be got ready, as if they had been houied : for a cloth being 

 thrown over the horizontal pole, and its lower margins 

 lo: ded with weights, a complete roof is formed, and ex- 

 aftly fitted to the ftack, whether it be high or low, wide 

 or narrow ; the eaves being always adiulled to the wall-plate, 

 or upper part of the ftem of the ftack, thus effeftually 

 (hooting off rain-w;iter, while the internal moillure, or fteam 

 arifing from the fermentation of the hay, efcapes freely at 

 either end, as the wind may happen to blow. And what 

 renders this ingenious contrivance the more valuable is, its 

 being readily put up or taken away. The poles, being 

 light, are eafily moved from ftack to ftack, or laid up for 

 another feafon ; and the wheels are as readily removed, or 

 returned to their axles. On thele hints fir Jofeph Banks 

 feems to have made a confidcrable improvement, which is 

 equally fimple, cheap, and eafy in the execution ; and, at 

 the fame time, perfectly calculated for the purpofe. 



This improved apparatus, as given by a writer in the 

 tenth volume of the Annals ot Agriculture, is thus de- 

 fcribed. There are two long upright polls, poles, or balks 

 of wood, which are firmly fixed and fet into two wheels, 

 fomewhat in the fame manner as the above ; one of which is 

 placed at each end of the ftack, to which ropes and a block- 

 tackle are fo attached as to be capable of fufpending the 

 cloth or (heet over the ftack in fuch a way as to render it 

 readily raifed or deprelfed at pleafure, vsithout difficulty or 

 much trouble ; the middle part of the cloth being well pre-' 

 pared and fecured, in order that the hooks of the tackle for 

 regulating it may be attached to it in a fuitablc mamier. 

 There are three ropes on each fide of each poll or pole, 

 which are fallened to rings in the upper and top parts of 

 them, and fixed by ftrong large pegs down to the ground, 

 by which means the upright polls or j>oles are held fteady 

 and firmly in their places. The block-tackle, by whictl 

 the cloth is rendered capable of being raifed or let down, 

 as there may be occafion, conhfts of an upper and larger, 

 and of a lower and fmaller block, which anfwer the purpofe 

 very efteAually. There are alio four pieces, or more, of 

 ropes, which are attached by rings to the bottom parts or 

 edges of the cloth, on each fide, by which they fix it to the 

 ground or ftack, by means of pegs driven firmly into them. 

 The whole of the apparatus is fo contrived, as to be eafily 

 and readily taken down and removed, as there may be occa- 

 fion ; and when not wanted, it takes up but little room in a 

 dry fecure place. 



St.\ck Hay-Rod, the ftrong or ftout iron rod of the bolt 

 kind, which is forced into hay-ftacks, in order to make way 

 and form a pallage for an iron gun ram-rod, which has a 

 ftrong worm or fcrew at the lower end of it. In this way 

 a fample of the hay is fcrewed and forced or taken out, and 

 the ftate or condition of the ftack difcovered and determined. 

 This neat and ufeful difcovery and contrivance was made by 

 the late Mr. Ducket, the ingenious farmer at Eftier, in the 

 county of Surrey ; and the method praftifed by him, not 

 only for afcertaining the ftate of the heat in hay-flacks, and 

 preventing its proceeding to too great a degree, but for 

 (hewing the colour of the hay in them. When the heat is 

 too great, it ferves alfo for making holes in different parts 

 and places of the flacks, in order to let it pafs off, and to 

 admit air more freely, fo that the hay may be prevented from 

 being injured in any way by it. This is an invention which, 

 of courfe, may be beneficial to the hay-farmer in many dif- 

 ferent ways. 



Stack* 



