BALING HAY THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY

by Fred M. Allen

As we traveled along Texas highways recently, we saw bales of hay rolled up and spread out over the meadows. They would be sold or used later to feed the livestock. Those bales of hay were evidence of large machinery at work under the expertise of today's farmers and ranchers. Who could have imagined many years ago that, someday, such modern technology would be developed to enable such a product to be produced in perhaps only one day by one driver without the use of horses and a rather large crew of men and boys over a period of several days?

When I was about 10 years of age in 1945 and living in Taylortown in southeast Lamar County in Texas, I was one of the crew members who baled hay “the old-fashioned“ way. It was a major undertaking each year which required careful planning and a lot of hard work. Teams of horses were required, first to pull the mower to cut the grass to be baled. Next, a sulky rake was used to pick up the cut grass and pile it in wind-rows while it was drying out. The hay baler was brought to the center of the meadow and set up for operation. On one end was a “walk-around” which would be pulled 'round and 'round by a horse to provide the power needed to drive the plunger into the baler for the hay to be compressed and divided into bales and pushed out the other end as finished rectangular bales of hay

My daddy, B. Fred Allen, enlisted the help of my uncle and other neighbors as needed to assist my older brothers, John and Bob and me in this major operation. Before we actually began baling the hay, a team of horses was used to pull the buck rake to pick up the hay in the wind-rows and pushed it forward until it was full. He repeated this many times, stacking large piles of hay all over the meadow until it was time to begin baling the hay. The buck rake driver carefully maneuvered loads of hay, bringing them near the baler as they were needed.

When the crew members were all in place, the baling began. There was the “scratcher” with a pitchfork who loosened the hay from the pile; the “tabler,” lifted the hay onto the mouth of the baler; another, the “feeder,” harnessed the hay with both gloved hands into a ball and, just as the plunger was released, to withdraw them before they could have been crushed.

After about 10 or 12 balls of hay had been pressed into the baler, the one sitting by the side tying the wires would yell out, “Down the block,” which meant after one more ball of hay was pressed in. If the block was needed immediately, he would yell, “Block down!” Then a wooden block would be placed into the mouth of the baler to separate the bales. I was the wire-puncher. I sat on the ground punching the wires back through the holes in the block each time a new block appeared so the tier on the other side could tie the bale with – you guessed it – baling wire.

The final step was to haul the bales of hay by wagon and off-load them into the second floor of our large barn. Then, after the last load was off-loaded, we could rest assured that there would be a sufficient supply of hay for the livestock during the winter months Why am I writing this story? I just wanted to put in writing the things which go through my mind each time I observe the hundreds of neatly-rolled bales of hay and remember how we used to do it before tractors and modern balers came into the picture. I am so thankful for the progress which has been made in the baling of hay over the last several years and for those clever minds who invented the advanced machinery in use today; and yes, for the clever farmers and ranchers who know how to operate such equipment. They are experts in their field – literally! BALING HAY THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY

by Fred M. Allen

As we traveled along Texas highways recently, we saw bales of hay rolled up and spread out over the meadows. They would be sold or used later to feed the livestock. Those bales of hay were evidence of large machinery at work under the expertise of today's farmers and ranchers. Who could have imagined many years ago that, someday, such modern technology would be developed to enable such a product to be produced in perhaps only one day by one driver without the use of horses and a rather large crew of men and boys over a period of several days?

When I was about 10 years of age in 1945 and living in Taylortown in southeast Lamar County in Texas, I was one of the crew members who baled hay “the old-fashioned“ way. It was a major undertaking each year which required careful planning and a lot of hard work. Teams of horses were required, first to pull the mower to cut the grass to be baled. Next, a sulky rake was used to pick up the cut grass and pile it in wind-rows while it was drying out. The hay baler was brought to the center of the meadow and set up for operation. On one end was a “walk-around” which would be pulled 'round and 'round by a horse to provide the power needed to drive the plunger into the baler for the hay to be compressed and divided into bales and pushed out the other end as finished rectangular bales of hay

My daddy, B. Fred Allen, enlisted the help of my uncle and other neighbors as needed to assist my older brothers, John and Bob and me in this major operation. Before we actually began baling the hay, a team of horses was used to pull the buck rake to pick up the hay in the wind-rows and pushed it forward until it was full. He repeated this many times, stacking large piles of hay all over the meadow until it was time to begin baling the hay. The buck rake driver carefully maneuvered loads of hay, bringing them near the baler as they were needed.

When the crew members were all in place, the baling began. There was the “scratcher” with a pitchfork who loosened the hay from the pile; the “tabler,” lifted the hay onto the mouth of the baler; another, the “feeder,” harnessed the hay with both gloved hands into a ball and, just as the plunger was released, to withdraw them before they could have been crushed.

After about 10 or 12 balls of hay had been pressed into the baler, the one sitting by the side tying the wires would yell out, “Down the block,” which meant after one more ball of hay was pressed in. If the block was needed immediately, he would yell, “Block down!” Then a wooden block would be placed into the mouth of the baler to separate the bales. I was the wire-puncher. I sat on the ground punching the wires back through the holes in the block each time a new block appeared so the tier on the other side could tie the bale with – you guessed it – baling wire.

The final step was to haul the bales of hay by wagon and off-load them into the second floor of our large barn. Then, after the last load was off-loaded, we could rest assured that there would be a sufficient supply of hay for the livestock during the winter months Why am I writing this story? I just wanted to put in writing the things which go through my mind each time I observe the hundreds of neatly-rolled bales of hay and remember how we used to do it before tractors and modern balers came into the picture. I am so thankful for the progress which has been made in the baling of hay over the last several years and for those clever minds who invented the advanced machinery in use today; and yes, for the clever farmers and ranchers who know how to operate such equipment. They are experts in their field – literally!