HOW TO BUILD A ROUND STACK.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 21, 3 December 1874, Page 3

HOW TO BUILD A ROUND STACK.

The proper way to build a round stack, whether of hay, straw, grain, or CornrStalks, is to begin by laying a foot deep upon the ground of old undamaged straw, hay, or fodder. In the middle of this layer a common hayfork should be set up by thrusting the prongs into the ground through the straw, &c. Then, with another hayfork, i whose 1 prongs are placed closely against the handle of the upright one, the bed is made exactly circular,, conforming at the circumference with the radies of the circle which the second fork-handle represents. If corn-stalks or corn-fodder is to be stacked, a few sheaves are placed upright in the centre, upon their butts, and "others iare placed : ' against them, leaning slightly, and gradually sloping more and more as each row of sheaves is placed around the central core until the circumference of the stack is reached. When this occurs another lot of sheaves or bundles is placed in the centre, sloping somewhat towards the outside, and another layer of sheaves is placed on the stack. As it settles, the pressure from the centre will spread the stack at the point where it begins to narrow off for the tbp, sufficiently to cast off the rain : and drip from the sides. The narrowing is a very important part of the building. Each layer of sheaves is now to be placed with the centre more nearly upright than the last until the last few sheaves in the centre are perfectly upright, and the stack is finished off with a collar of sheaves placed : around one central one and bound firmly with a hard, twisted straw rope. The stack should be. topped off with sheaves placed butts uppermost and well trodden down ancl made compact. Rain will run off -a covering made in this manner finding no lodgment in the joints, from which the leaves spring, as it will do if the sheaves are placed with the butts downward. The collar which finishes off the peak of the stack must of course be placed with the butts downward as the stack terminates in a point closely bound: When hay or straw is stacked the builder should stand in the centre all the time and keep that part always the highest. Then the central portion will settle less than the eaves and the stack will shed i water, and although water should penetrate in places, it will always find course toward the outside of the stack and the centre can never 1 be injured. If on the contrary the -builder stands, as he frequently does, upon the verge of the stack following the pitchers around, the centre will settle the most and will | be hollow. If water then enters, as it will almost; infallibly do, it penetrates to the centre and finds its way through the stack to the bottom and the contents are snoiM. — A h'armer.