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| The Arthur Rothstein Legacy Project posted Filling the hayloft at Maxwell farm. Jasper County, Iowa. 1939 Photograph by Arthur Rothstein In the 1930s, a major Iowa farm chore was the cutting, drying, and storing of hay. Dried alfalfa supplemented the diets of cattle, horses, goats, and sheep year-round, especially when weather was an obstacle to grazing. “Making hay while the sun shines” seems simple enough. Alfalfa is nutritious and good for the soil. However, the farmer must plant it in proper rotation with other crops, ensure that bees are present to pollinate its flowers, cut it at the right time, then monitor its storage conditions. Baled or stacked hay can be left in the field but if conditions are humid or if the hay is baled or stacked wet, decomposition and mold growth may destroy its nutritional value. Haybarns became popular in the 20th century to ensure a proper storage environment and facilitate multiple annual harvests of the fast-growing legume. Lifting stacks and bales into the hayloft was powered by horses, until power winches were introduced as the New Deal’s Rural Electrification Administration extended power lines to most farms. Dewey Judy Gidcumb: Yes been there at the age of 6,7,8 which meant milking cows at 5 in the morning ,breakfasts at 7 and a cool mile walk to school to a one room school with all 12 grades with 4 hole out door toilets and back to the farm driving in the cows because it was soon milking time ,got milk yep 7 days a week nothing like a warm cup of milk on a cold day ,the cats loved the milk straight from the cows tit oh yes a child evangelist lady would set up her flannel graph board to show us the death burial and resurrection of Jesus about once each month at this one room school house and I was ask to invite Jesus into my life and He has never left me Robert Newberry: Been there, done that. My job was driving the horses on the other end of the rope witch pulled the hay up from the wagon up into the hay mow, where another farmer up in the hay mow would pull the trip rope to release the hay forks. The farmer on the wagon would then pull his rope and pull the fork Assy back to the wagon to repeat the cycle again. I would turn the horses around and go back to the barn to give slack to the hay mow rope. I was about seven years old. I did this all day long to approx. five o’clock that evening then we would all go to our homes to milk the cows and do the chores. The Arthur Rothstein Legacy Project posted Filling the hayloft at Maxwell farm. Jasper County, Iowa. 1939 Photograph by Arthur Rothstein In the 1930s, a major Iowa farm chore was the cutting, drying, and storing of hay. Dried alfalfa supplemented the diets of cattle, horses, goats, and sheep year-round, especially when weather was an obstacle to grazing. “Making hay while the sun shines” seems simple enough. Alfalfa is nutritious and good for the soil. However, the farmer must plant it in proper rotation with other crops, ensure that bees are present to pollinate its flowers, cut it at the right time, then monitor its storage conditions. Baled or stacked hay can be left in the field but if conditions are humid or if the hay is baled or stacked wet, decomposition and mold growth may destroy its nutritional value. Haybarns became popular in the 20th century to ensure a proper storage environment and facilitate multiple annual harvests of the fast-growing legume. Lifting stacks and bales into the hayloft was powered by horses, until power winches were introduced as the New Deal’s Rural Electrification Administration extended power lines to most farms. Michael Thompson: Loose, hay in the barn was difficult to get out, with a pitchfork. Not only did it settle, and pack tightly, an old barn tended to expand do to the outward push of the hay. Baled hay, had to be one of the modern wonders of farming. IMO. Not mentioned, moist, or wet hay, not properly cured would generate heat, in some cased cause spontaneous combustion. Eli L Miller: Michael Thompson We had a knife to cut a section made it much easier to get a fork for letting it slide down the shoot. William Hutfles: We used the same system on round bales - 8 to a fork load. Our hay rope was routed via pulleys thru a side door so that the puller backed away from the front of the barn and could see the load go up. Most of my 5 sisters learned to drive with a clutch pulling the fork with an 8N Ford tractor with the rope hitched to the front grill guard. If they got jerkey with the clutch they would loose bales from the fork which fell back to the wagon and irritated my Dad. Once we determined where to trip the fork once it got to the desired spot in the barn, we would put a chunk of wood behind the tractor's back tire so my sisters knew where to stop pulling. Then Dad would trip the load. Laverne Buller: I distinctly remember doing this on the day we heard that FDR died. The trolley mechanism is quite clever. The trolley is locked in place until the sling of hay comes up and trips a lock which allows the trolley to roll along a rail into the barn. At the same time the rope is gripped so that it can’t come back down. [There are several other comments by people recalling how they loaded the mow.] Randy Ahrens shared |
Meanwhile, out in the hay field:
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| Daily Historical Pictures and Videos posted Crawford County, Pennsylvania, 1913... Caption: Rear view of hay wagon, farm workers and children, showing apparatus for lifting the hay... Source: New-York Historical Society, Photographs of New York City and Beyond Travis Chumley shared |
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| Screenshot @ -4:10 [An almost 7 minute video that shows the complete process from loading a wagon in the field to spreading the hay in the mow. I don't agree with the shots and editing of the field action, but it is still a very good video.] |
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| John Booth posted small on the Eastern Colorado plains |
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| 20160804 4077 A motel we stayed in had a big picture of a barn over one of the beds. Note it has a ridge extension and big mow door. |
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When balers were developed, they reinforced the floor of the mow and stacked bales in the mow to the roof. If you look at the original overall view of the green barn, you will see that the big mow door as been replaced by an eve window and some little mow doors were added along the sides. They would move an elevator from one mow door to another to fill the various parts of the mow.
Update:
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| Rand Swenson posted Western MN. |
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Darrin Critchet posted a some pictures of a hay loader he found with the comment:
Neil Sutton Look good in our draft horse museum if u r interested
Darrin Critchet I actually sold it to an Amish farmer who tore it down and greased it and got it ready to go back to work.
I was off the beaten path to get pictures of the Thompson Mill 1868 Covered Wood Bridge. I was so far off the beaten path I let my GPS figure out how to get to my next intended stop, Kinmundy, IL. (It still has a wood railroad water tank.) I noticed I was seeing several barns that still had ridge extensions. And I had not seen any cars on the narrow, country roads the GPS was using. So when I saw this barn that still had its big mow door, I stopped on the road and backed up to take a photo. (My wife was looking for cars in case one did come along.) Note the door is intact, it is just hinged down.
I took a couple of other pictures trying to get a good view without trees in the way. But the best view was as we left because the ropes and pulleys used to raise the hay were visible against the sky. (satellite)
There is a ridge on this one too, but it is hard to see because it faces the road; and, when they resided it, they removed the big mow door.
When I saw this barn...
...I pulled into the driveway to get a view clear of the power pole. Unfortunately, there was a shack in the way. But my wife likes to see those kinds of hand pumps.
And I was discovered the type of horse-drawn rake that was used to help gather up the hay.
The rake is not in a 2009 street view.
It appears that the barn still has the big mow door that hinges downward.
Luther Keyes posted pictures with the comment: "Got this out after 80+ years in the barn. Grandad bought this new. New idea straw spreader. Yes it's for sale.western NY."
[The comments made the correction that it is a hay loader instead of a straw spreader.]
Gene E Kingbeil posted two photos with the comment:
Robert Cady The hay loader was a great invention didn’t have to put the piles of hay from the dump this machine just put them on the wagon and you had to move the hay in Tampa down to build a load take it to the barn where a fork rope and pulley took it over the barn beam . In my day I pulled the rope tied to our 8n ford.
Gene E Klingbeil Robert Cady By the time I helped with that, I drove the 1950 Chev. pickup to pull up the hay in the barn. How I learned to drive.
Bob Stickner Gene E Klingbeil Ditto on the Chevy pickup but I think ours was a ‘51.
Gene E Klingbeil Fred Hart I remember we had the loose hay forks first, then went to bales and the hay fork that could take up 10 bales at a time. Those hay trolleys that rode on rails'accross the barns are a Facebook collector's group all their own now!!
Douglas Williams Fred Hart I have a three hay forks and four dollies or cars, some pulleys as well, I helped work when we were haying with this equipment
Robert Cady's comment above talks about "piles of hay from the dump." I believe he was referring to the piles created by a dump rake.
Saved this unit. It was in excellent condition with very little wear. It was hiding in a barn built in 1877 in northern Ohio. What year is something like this from?Richard Vandecreek Not exactly sure but those were made pretty late into the 40's or 50's
Neil Sutton Look good in our draft horse museum if u r interested
Darrin Critchet I actually sold it to an Amish farmer who tore it down and greased it and got it ready to go back to work.
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| Jay Lane posted |
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| 20170316 8081, camera resolution |
I took a couple of other pictures trying to get a good view without trees in the way. But the best view was as we left because the ropes and pulleys used to raise the hay were visible against the sky. (satellite)
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| Camera resolution of the following |
When I saw this barn...
...I pulled into the driveway to get a view clear of the power pole. Unfortunately, there was a shack in the way. But my wife likes to see those kinds of hand pumps.
And I was discovered the type of horse-drawn rake that was used to help gather up the hay.
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| Cropped from the above photo |
It appears that the barn still has the big mow door that hinges downward.
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| Screenshot from Jeff Klingenfus' posting |
[The comments made the correction that it is a hay loader instead of a straw spreader.]
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| Richard M. Gaskill posted Vintage farm photo, Brunner Farm John R. Dutton Sr., of Mineral City, Ohio, shares this photo c. 1914 that shows a full lineup of family members and others. With the side-delivery rake, pulled by horses Don and Roy, is E.C. Dutton; in the carriage is Harriet Edna Ryan Dutton, and children Evangeline, about age 4, and Dwight “Tom”, about age 3. |
Gene E Kingbeil posted two photos with the comment:
I remember my Grandpa and Dad loading up loose hay in the field with a hay loader just like this in a wagon. They used a tractor by the time I remember doing this instead of horses to pull it with the wagon out front.I do remember playing on this old implement alot when it was parked in our grove! What a neat 'jungle gym' for a small kid!Douglas Williams I drove the tractor when I was very young back in the 1950,s loading loose hay with a Cockshutt hay loader, Dad would put the hay in place on the wagon
Robert Cady The hay loader was a great invention didn’t have to put the piles of hay from the dump this machine just put them on the wagon and you had to move the hay in Tampa down to build a load take it to the barn where a fork rope and pulley took it over the barn beam . In my day I pulled the rope tied to our 8n ford.
Gene E Klingbeil Robert Cady By the time I helped with that, I drove the 1950 Chev. pickup to pull up the hay in the barn. How I learned to drive.
Bob Stickner Gene E Klingbeil Ditto on the Chevy pickup but I think ours was a ‘51.
Gene E Klingbeil Fred Hart I remember we had the loose hay forks first, then went to bales and the hay fork that could take up 10 bales at a time. Those hay trolleys that rode on rails'accross the barns are a Facebook collector's group all their own now!!
Douglas Williams Fred Hart I have a three hay forks and four dollies or cars, some pulleys as well, I helped work when we were haying with this equipment
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| Denny Smith commented on his comment [Denny had commented "Jayhawk stacker" on Gene's post. Gene E klingbeil's comment was "Is that a 'Kansas' term for the loader or a brand?" This image was his response to that question. So it was a brand.] |
Robert Cady's comment above talks about "piles of hay from the dump." I believe he was referring to the piles created by a dump rake.
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| Jerry Bundy posted [Matt Hoffman provided a YouTube link. Turn down your volume because there is a lot of wind noise.] |
Richard Teeter posted four photos with the comment: "Pretty cool hay trolley still operational in my barn."
Nick Vancos Farm down the road has one they still use to put hay and straw up in the barn, lifts 6 bales at a time.
Dennis DeBruler At about 2:30 (-4:20), this video shows that it could lift quite a bit of hay.
https://www.facebook.com/ruralheritage/videos/10156526557688156/
Richard M. Gaskill shared Scott Morehouse's post of four photos with the comment: "Im not ready yet and the rain is making things grow. Having said that I have a itch and the barn has plenty of room."
I've seen Amish because I have driven through north central Indiana. I have never seen an overweight Amish. They work hard. They don't set in an air conditioned cab pushing joy stick controls.
(new window) After an interview, they show filling a wagon with loose hay. Then they unload it. I've seen the guy with a beard before, but this is a different video.
(new window) Instead of barn hay curing, baling hay happened and the farmers still had to worry about the weather. When I was in fifth grade, I studied weather forecasting for my science fair project. I learned enough to help my grandfather and uncle decide if it was going to rain in the next three days by studying the clouds. I can also remember them discussing if they could bale before the three days of drying were up because a rain was forecast to come soon. They would go out to the field and break some of the stems to decide if the hay was dry enough to bale. If it was not dry enough, they ran the risk of spontaneous combustion burning down the barn. You would rather loose a cut of hay than your barn. Since they fed dairy cows, if any rain fell on the hay, it was chopped back onto the field. The rain would knock the alpha leaves off the stems so it wasn't good enough for dairy cows. When a neighbor started raising steer for meat, they let him have the rained-out cuts because it was good enough for those cows. (I wrote the above before I got to the part where they said this would work for baled and chopped hay as well. So now I wonder why it didn't take off. I'll bet, in practice, baled hay didn't let the air circulate through the hay. And blowing chopped hay into a silo was easier. Even with haylage and silage, they still fed baled hay. I'm guessing it is a matter of providing enough fiber in their diet.) At 18:00 is an example of the type of milker they used before they got the pipeline and bulk tank cooler installed.
(new window) Near the end it is interesting how they swing it to fill the sides.
(new window) This video shows mowing and raking as well as loading. They make haystacks instead of putting it into a mow. They do plan to switch to mowing it. They already own a trolley and grapple.
(new window)
Dennis DeBruler At about 2:30 (-4:20), this video shows that it could lift quite a bit of hay.
https://www.facebook.com/ruralheritage/videos/10156526557688156/
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| Carl Wagner commented on his post [Please follow the link to see his post of six detailed shots of trolleys.] |
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I've seen Amish because I have driven through north central Indiana. I have never seen an overweight Amish. They work hard. They don't set in an air conditioned cab pushing joy stick controls.
(new window) After an interview, they show filling a wagon with loose hay. Then they unload it. I've seen the guy with a beard before, but this is a different video.
(new window) Instead of barn hay curing, baling hay happened and the farmers still had to worry about the weather. When I was in fifth grade, I studied weather forecasting for my science fair project. I learned enough to help my grandfather and uncle decide if it was going to rain in the next three days by studying the clouds. I can also remember them discussing if they could bale before the three days of drying were up because a rain was forecast to come soon. They would go out to the field and break some of the stems to decide if the hay was dry enough to bale. If it was not dry enough, they ran the risk of spontaneous combustion burning down the barn. You would rather loose a cut of hay than your barn. Since they fed dairy cows, if any rain fell on the hay, it was chopped back onto the field. The rain would knock the alpha leaves off the stems so it wasn't good enough for dairy cows. When a neighbor started raising steer for meat, they let him have the rained-out cuts because it was good enough for those cows. (I wrote the above before I got to the part where they said this would work for baled and chopped hay as well. So now I wonder why it didn't take off. I'll bet, in practice, baled hay didn't let the air circulate through the hay. And blowing chopped hay into a silo was easier. Even with haylage and silage, they still fed baled hay. I'm guessing it is a matter of providing enough fiber in their diet.) At 18:00 is an example of the type of milker they used before they got the pipeline and bulk tank cooler installed.
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(new window) Near the end it is interesting how they swing it to fill the sides.
(new window) This video shows mowing and raking as well as loading. They make haystacks instead of putting it into a mow. They do plan to switch to mowing it. They already own a trolley and grapple.
(new window)
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But they no longer store it as loose hay. There is a reason you don't see obese Amish.
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Look at the sixth photo in this posting to see the trolley bar in the peak of the mow.
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