38 
BULLETIN 578, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
(usually a boy). If a "patent" whip is used, the team, on the press 
requires no driver. If the hay yields 1 ton per acre, one mower 
will be kept busy all day. One straight-tooth rake will be kept busy 
half a day. unless the operator rerakes. in which event it will be 
busy all day. One push rake will be required. "With a yield of one- 
half ton per acre, two mowers will be required to cut enough down 
to keep the press busy, and the rake will only be able to rake the 
field over once. 
TVnen hay is baled in the field with a power press, the crew will 
vary from 8 to 16 or more men, and the number of horses used will be 
from 6 to 12 or more. Most power presses in the alfalfa and prairie 
hay regions are owned on farms having over 500 tons to bale per 
year, or by men who make custom baling their business. As a 
rule, a power press will bale from 500 to 3,000 tons per year, and 
in such cases the press and field crew get used to making and baling 
day after day and soon become proficient. 
The seasonal repairs on power presses operated by inexperienced 
men may amount to several times as much as those on a press oper- 
ated by skilled pressmen. The methods illustrated are those in 
common practice in the alfalfa and prairie hav sections. 
Method 40. 
A common arrangement for small crews. This crew bales but 
6 tons per day. the low output being largely due to the fact that only 
one horse is used on the press. One horse is not able to keep a press 
running at its maximum capacity all day. The hay field is raked 
twice, which also slightly increases the cost per ton. 
Work Chart 40. — Prairie hay bait d from the windrow uith horse press. 
[This crew bales 90 tons per year.] 
Operation 
"Men 
Teaas 
Tiae required 
6 7 8 5 10 11 12 1 2 3 " it- 5 6 
Mowing 
A 
B 
C 
D 
E 
F 
a 
c 
d 
i i i i I i i 1 i i i : i 
rrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrr 
pppppppppp PPPPPPPPPP 
pppppppppp X>PPPPPPPPP 
ffffffffff ffffffffff 
dddddddddd ddddddddda 
f 1 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 
Raking 
Push raking 
PresB crew: 
Pitching 
Feeding 
Wiring;.. ... .. 
Driving 
Sis men and 7 horses bale 6 tons (12 acres) per day. Yield. 0.50 ton per acre. Man-hours 10, horse-hours 
11.66 per ton. Labor cost, $3.16 per ton. Cost of labor and wire, $3.41 per ton. 
