THE PIGEON PEA.* CULTURE IN HAWAII. 11 
rial to be cured is supported a foot or more above the ground. The 
floor is slatted, and all four sides are open to free circulation of the 
air and wind. It is the action of the wind even more than that of 
the sun which makes for a well-cured slack of hay. At Haiku it 
is the practice to load as soon after the forage is cut as is practicable, 
often within an hour after harvesting. However, if no wind is blow- 
ing, which is seldom the case at Haiku, and the fodder is exception- 
ally lush or succulent, it may be left lying on the plants as above 
described for a half day or so. If the sun is bright, fully half of 
the free moisture in the forage will have evaporated in this time. 
Ordinarily, however, the crop is loaded within an hour or two of 
harvest, and where sound judgment is exercised no spoilage results 
from the practice. 
When excessive rains occur during the 7 to 10 days required for 
curing under favorable conditions, tarpaulins are thrown over the 
top of the stack, but not over the sides, because as free a circulation 
of air as is possible is needed to prevent overheating and consequent 
spoilage. Some drawbacks were found to the use of impervious 
coverings when they were placed over a freshly stacked load of 
pigeon peas; and it was feared that spoilage would result if such 
coverings were left on too long. This would undoubtedly be the 
case were a protracted wet spell to occur while the coverings were on. 
To overcome this difficulty, Dr. W. D. Baldwin, of Haiku, suggested 
the use of grass-thatched coverings or roofs, which, while they 
allowed free circulation of air, at the same time provided perfect pro- 
tection against the heaviest rains. Through Dr. Baldwin's interest 
in advancing this work, it was possible to construct the experimental 
structure shown in Plate III, figure 2. It was first thought that the 
thatched " blanket " could be used as a tarpaulin, but it was found 
too cumbersome for this purpose, and it was placed over a frame of 
bamboo as a permanent structure. It was of just the right dimen- 
sions to permit the loaded curing truck to pass under. After having 
been used for a year or more with the utmost satisfaction, this pro- 
tection, unfortunately, was wrecked by a severe windstorm. Its 
total initial cost, ma inly for labor, was about $40, and there is no 
doubt that it saved five times that amount in preventing loss when 
hay was being cured in bad weather. This method is recommended 
for trial to all who are interested in the curing of any kind of forage 
in rainy districts. 
The Haiku ranch is now curing hundreds of tons of pigeon-pea 
hay in large, open sheds, and from these the cured hay is either 
baled or ground. This method i> apparently proving entirely satis- 
factory. 
II '<nj-r u ring truck* — Of the two types of hay-curing trucks in use 
at the Haiku demonstration and experiment farm, the one illustrated 
