Vol. LXV. No. 2941. 
NEW YORK, JUNE 9, 1906. 
8 
SUBSTITUTES FOR THE HIRED MAN. 
HANDLING THE HAT CROP. 
A Pole Used in the Hay Mow. 
Invention and improvement have done much to lighten 
the farmer’s load, and especially is it the case in mod¬ 
ern tools for caring for the hay crop. I think I have 
one of the most convenient methods of handling that 
crop. First, as to the mower, I use a five-foot cut for 
all purposes. Then if the grass is very heavy a tedder 
will come in use. In ordinary hay a side delivery rake 
is sufficient. In raking the hay it can be raked in light 
windrows to cure out, and then just before drawing 
they can be raked together. Now the loader comes in 
play. I would no more think of going through haying 
without a loader than I would through harvest without 
a binder. I would not use a loader less than eight feet 
in width, for no loader can do good work with one wheel 
on the windrow, especially if it is heavy. My little nine- 
year-old daughter and I put up about 60 tons of hay last 
Summer. Of course 
I did all the mow¬ 
ing and raking, so 
all the help needed 
was a driver while 
loading, as you will 
*ee by Fig. 188. But 
to her that was 
more play than 
work, especially so 
during the two days 
a little friend from 
town spent with her. 
Slings are used in 
unloading, so there 
is no pitching with 
a fork as of yore. 
For help in the 
mow, I use a stout 
pole in the center of 
the mow running 
the entire width of 
mow (mows are 18x 
36). The pole is 
placed as high as 
possible in the barn, 
so that when the 
sling goes over the 
bay with its load it 
will be just above 
the pole, which is so 
made that it re¬ 
volves either way; 
then if I wish to put 
the hay at the front 
of the bay I step to 
the front of the load 
with the trip rope, 
or if I want it at the opposite side of bay, I step to the 
back of the load. The few pounds it takes to trip the 
sling is sufficient to drop the heaviest part on that side 
of the pole, and away goes the hay to its intended place. 
All that now remains to be done is to level it off. An¬ 
other advantage in using the pole is that the hay cannot 
drop in the center of the mow, consequently mow-burn¬ 
ing is avoided. 
Last Summer a friend stopped in, just as I drove in 
the barn with a load of hay. He asked what that pole 
was for. When I explained it to him, lie said: “Well, 
I’ll go up in the mow and see how it works.” After 
helping to put away the load he said he would rather 
have that arrangement than the help of any man who 
had ever helped him to mow away hay. Further, as the 
loader is quite heavy for a lightweight man to handle 
alone, I have fixed a long tongue so I can place it in 
the front of the loader, so I can handle it as I would 
a cart in putting it in shelter. To hitch on to the wagon 
I have arranged a windlass and crank to draw the loader 
to its place, so as not to have to do it by main strength. 
Michigan. w. e. r. 
Hay Making Made Easy. 
Having a hay crop of large amount to take care of, the 
first thing to look to is a first-class mower. We con¬ 
sider the Johnston the best. Get to work at cutting in 
the morning as soon as most of the dew is off. Nothing 
is gained by laying down a heavy swath of hay wet 
with dew. Cut no more than you are likely to handle 
easily the next afternoon. As soon as the outside rows 
are dry enough to rake start the side-delivery hayrake, 
going round the piece in the same direction that you 
went with the mower. If not dry enough to draw in 
right off, leave in the windrow over night. After you 
have mowed another strip for the next raking go over 
the windrows with your side-delivery rake, and just 
turn them over, and the chances are that you and 
Willie or Mary can go right to hauling in. Now hitch 
KEY. 11.00 PER YEAR. 
SUBSTITUTE FOR HIRED MAN; HAY LOADER WITH NO BACKACHE. Fig. 188. 
your steadiest team on the wagon carrying a box hay¬ 
rack, 16 feet long, 10 feet wide, and having slatted sides 
4(4 feet high. Hook on your hay loader and get straddle 
of one of those windrows just as quick as possible. Let 
the child drive, and you will have all the business you 
want for the next six to 10 minutes; it will depend on 
how good your wind is, and how fast the team walks. 
Better drive very slow. The load is now on. Unhook 
the loader, let it stand just where it stopped, and go to 
the barn. We put the old family horse on the end of 
the rope, with a hook, so Willie or Mary can easily 
unfasten the whiffletree from it. Never mind anyone in 
the mow. Set the double harpoon hay fork in the hay 
and start. The horse easily snatches up 300 or 400 
pounds of hay on to the carrier in the top of the barn, 
and you let it run along the track till you have it over 
the back end of the bay; then pull the trip cord and 
away it goes, clear to the bottom of the mow. Continue 
in the same manner for about seven or eight minutes 
and the,JoauTis off—Get-tip i \/ the mow and in five 
minutes ittsiiqamy rie^ehCJf^rourse it is easier to have 
a man in the mow "to helpunload, but you can do with¬ 
out him. You will have plenty of time next Winter to 
get that hay out, and if you fill the back of the mow 
fastest it will come out easier. Any of the hay carriers 
will do good work. We put no hay in cocks, no matter 
how wet the weather. You can get it into the barn 
with much less labor if you take it from the windrows. 
Timothy hay, on a good drying day, may be cut in the 
forenoon and drawn in the afternoon of the same day. 
1 he main thing is to have knives sharp, rack on the 
wagon, carrier in place, with good sound rope, and all 
nuts and bolts in place and tight. A man never knows 
what it is to be really alive until he has gone through 
one or more hayings in this way. e. e. crosby. 
Niagara Co., N. Y. 
Working the City Relation. 
The economical harvest must be considered in fitting 
meadows for seed¬ 
ing; they must be 
as free from stones, 
rough places, bogs, 
etc., as possible, and 
should be rolled as 
often as necessary. 
All implements 
should be got in 
readiness in advance 
of the opening of 
the hay harvest, 
which in this section 
should open about 
July 1. In giving 
an actual experience 
in putting up 148 
acres of hay in 22/ 
days in 1904 I will 
detail what I con¬ 
sider the most ap¬ 
proved method for 
this section, and 
perhaps for the en¬ 
tire East and Mid¬ 
dle States. Mow 
the hay that can be 
cared for during the 
day in the cool of 
the early morning. 
We cut many acres 
before breakfast and 
let it lie until the 
dew on the upper 
side is well dried off 
and the hay started 
to cure; then the 
eight-foot tedder is 
started. Use girls, city relations, boys or any visitors 
or cheap help for mowing and tedding; while this is 
being done the men can be mowing along the fences by 
hand, and unloading the last loads that were drawn to 
the barn the night before. We use three wagons, and 
plan to have them ready to unload in the morning; 
then if any gleanings were left in the bunch in the field 
on the previous evening they will be ready to draw. 
This done and the cut hay of the morning cured, we are 
ready for the earnest work of the day; this requires at 
least six horses. Have three on the wagon in the field, 
to which attach a hay loader, and with an elderly man, 
too aged to do hard work, to drive, start the hay to 
rolling on to the wagon. Take it right from the swath. 
I prefer the vibrating pattern of loader with wind gate, 
and with a man of tact it will take the hay direct from 
the swath and do excellent service. The moment the 
load is completed another wagon should be alongside of 
the load; uncouple the loader and start the load off. 
