6 BULLETIN 978, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
the beam begins to rise or fall (whichever the case may be), but the 
bale is removed or pushed off the scale to make room for another be- 
fore the beam comes to a balance. Such weights may easily be in- 
correct to the extent of from 5 to 10 pounds. The argument in de- 
fense of this practice is that while some bales will be overweight, 
probably a hke number will be underweight, so that the total weight 
of the whole lot will be approximately correct. 
Another practice which does not insure correct weights is that of 
weighing a few bales, usually from 10 to 25, and using their average 
weight to compute the weight of the entire lot. This is not only the 
practice of some balers, but is a recognized method of weighing in 
some of the larger terminal markets. 
It is claimed that in some markets if, when making this test weight, 
it is found that the bales actually weigh more than is indicated on 
the tags, the tag weights are used as the official weight. One instance 
is related where a shipper whose returns from a terminal market 
were always a few hundred pounds short of his invoiced weights hit 
upon the plan of marking the weights on the tags of a few bales 
near the doorways a few pounds less than the actual weights, his 
thought being that when it was found that the actual weights were 
more than the amount indicated on the tags, the invoice weight sup- 
posed to be computed from the tag weights would be accepted, and 
he therefore would be paid the full amount of his invoice. 
The careless or improper marking of the tags causes considerable 
trouble and loss to handlers of hay and should be discontinued. The 
most flagrant practice is probably that of marking the tags before 
the time they are to be used. The numbers pieced upon the tags 
are those supposed to represent approximately the weights of fhe 
bales made by the press that will bale the hay. Sometimes a few of 
the first bales pressed are weighed and the tags for these and the 
remainder of the hay are marked from these weights. In the latter 
instance the weight on the tags would become average weights simi- 
lar to those obtained in the terminal markets by weighing a few 
bales from each car. The difficulty, however, is that the bales may 
not run uniform throughout the carload, but may vary as much as 
25 pounds, because it is frequently necessary to loosen or tighten the 
tension on the bales as hays varying in texture. or moisture content 
are being baled. 
PROPER METHODS OF WEIGHING BY THE BALE. 
To weigh hay correctly by the bale it is necessary : 
First, to have reliable scales in good condition and in balance (see 
fies 2). 
