STORING 95 



"go-devil" is used to take at once several cocks, bunches 

 or a part of a windrow to a nearby stack. Others use a 

 rope to drag one or more large cocks to the stack ; or, if 

 the hay is to be taken from windrows, it may be put upon 

 wagons with a loader. The loader is an excellent imple- 

 ment for handling timothy and clover, but is apt to shake 

 off a good many leaves of alfalfa if the hay is very dry. 



STOKING IN THE BAHN. 



The barn is the best place for alfalfa if all conditions 

 are right. Cases of spontaneous combustion in stack 

 and mow make fanners fearful of using the bam, espe- 

 cially for the first cutting, which is always most difficult 

 to cure. There are certain conditions that must be 

 observed if this hay is to complete its curing properly 

 and safely in the mow. The bottom of the mow should 

 be elevated at least a foot from the ground, with poles 

 or joists; if joists they should be about two-thirds cov- 

 ered with boards or other material in such a way as to 

 provide numerous openings or air spaces of considerable 

 size. If the mow already has a tight floor, a part of the 

 flooring should be removed before the hay is put in. 

 Then a box or barrel should be placed in the center of 

 the space and lifted up as the filling proceeds. If the 

 mow is over thirty feet long, a second barrel should be 

 used; that is, an air shaft should be left in about each 

 fifteen to twenty feet. A layer of dry hay or straw sand- 

 wiched in about every four or five feet, as the mow fills, 

 can be used to much advantage. If the mow is large 

 enough in length and width, an excellent, safe plan is to 

 spread the first cutting over the entire bottom, filling up 



