. Alfalfa growing for seed and hay . ui., 339—U. S. Dept. Agriculture.) 30 Alfalfa hay does not shed water readily and if barn protectionor a shed roof cannot be provided it is commonly the practice tocover the stack with canvas or with grass hay or millet to shed thewater. A load of green alfalfa placed upon top of the stack will,on drying, form a fair protection from the rain, since the leaveswill lay folded one over the other somewhat after the fashion ofshingles on a roof. The fact that alfalfa suffers so severely frombeing wet makes it highly important that care be taken to protectthe alf
. Alfalfa growing for seed and hay . ui., 339—U. S. Dept. Agriculture.) 30 Alfalfa hay does not shed water readily and if barn protectionor a shed roof cannot be provided it is commonly the practice tocover the stack with canvas or with grass hay or millet to shed thewater. A load of green alfalfa placed upon top of the stack will,on drying, form a fair protection from the rain, since the leaveswill lay folded one over the other somewhat after the fashion ofshingles on a roof. The fact that alfalfa suffers so severely frombeing wet makes it highly important that care be taken to protectthe alfalfa stacks from any rain which may fall before the hay isused. It is also desirable that the stack be built upon some sortof a foundation, especially if water is apt to run under the stack,as otherwise a considerable portion of the base of the stack maybe rendered practically worthless. BALING ALFALFA HAY. When alfalfa is fed on the farm where it is raised, there islittle need for baling, but where it has to be transported to any. i^ ■ ^^ ^^.mr ^*=- . ^ I |!^.3^-, Fig. 9.—Baling alfalfa hay. The sweep-rake, or go-devil, is usedto bring in the hay from the windrow. (Westgate—Farmers Bui. S. Dept. Agriculture). 31 considerable distance it is usually more economical to use the the baling is quite often done from the stack it may be donefrom the windrow, as shown in the accompanying illustration. If baled from the windrow, great care must be taken to have thehay at just the right stage of curing, so that it will not be so dampas to heat and spoil or on the other hand be so dry as to shatter itsleaves. The ordinary bale weighs about 90 pounds, althoughspecially large bales are made for transportation to the miningregions. Where the alfalfa is shipped by ocean, it is sometimesdoubly compressed, thus bringing them to about one-half the bulkof the ordinary bale. These bales on being released usually turnto powder, so great has been the pressure exerted upon
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