Abstract: A cargo consisting of stacked compressible bales, such as bales of straw, positioned on a flat cargo bed of a cargo vehicle is compacted and compressed laterally of the cargo bed to eliminate excessive overhang of the cargo beyond the sides of the bed by pressing compacting members against opposite sides of the cargo to exert opposing compacting forces on the cargo laterally of the cargo bed. The disclosed compacting members are rollers between which the cargo vehicle is driven in a manner such that the rollers undergo relative rolling movement along the sides of the cargo to progressively compact the cargo from one end to the other.

Abstract: A sod cutting machine that includes a towable frame and a series of parallel trailing suspension arms, each suspension arm having a sod cutter disk and roller device for limiting the cutting depth of the disk. Each suspension arm is independently swingably attached to the frame so that each cutter disk achieves a proper cutting depth. A marking and tracking system is provided to maintain a desired parallelism and even spacing between the cuts in successive passes of the machine. The frame can be actuated to raise selected ones of the suspension arms in order to vary the slit spacing, thus to form elongated rectangular sod sections.

Abstract: A method of growing sod and sod product produced thereby wherein mushroom mulch is used as a growing medium. A seed bed is formed by sowing seeds on the upper surface of a mulch layer. A porous net is placed over the mulch layer to form an anchorage system for the sod root system. Also, a second mulch layer is laid over the sown seeds to protect the seeds and prevent any undesired drying out of the mulch material in closest proximity to the seeds.