Abstract: An intense forage conditioning machine includes: a mower, either a cutter bar or disks, perpendicular to the direction of travel for cutting fresh forage off the ground to leave a stubble; a conveying unit to move the cut forage; a macerating unit composed of a series of grooved rolls rotating at different speeds to severely condition the conveyed cut forage; and a double track pressing unit to compress the macerated forage and to deposit the resulting thin mat on the stubble. The macerating unit can be used without the tracks and can comprise only three rollers arranged to form two nips. The rollers can be grooved and can rotate at different speeds.

Abstract: Grass cutting machinery particularly suitable for mowing golf greens which are covered in early morning dew has an apparatus for preparing the grass in advance of the grass cutting blades. This relies on creating a flow of air around the dew covered grass to dislodge the dew from the grass. The flow of air can be effected by a blower, or suction.

Abstract: An attachment mounted to an articulated boom of a carrier vehicle for harvesting and dewatering peat moss material. The attachment comprises an apertured bucket for digging peat moss material and a ram movable with relation to the bucket between an extended position and a retracted position. The ram and the bucket define a variable volume press chamber which is contractible in response to movement of the ram member toward the extended position for expressing water from the load of peat moss material gathered in the bucket. The invention also extends to a novel method for harvesting and dewatering peat moss material.

Abstract: A hay conditioning unit includes drier units which utilize microwave energy to dry hay as that hay moves through a housing on a conveyor belt. Various temperature and moisture sensors are located along the path of the hay to sense the temperature and moisture of the hay so that hay can be discharged from the unit to have a precisely controlled moisture and protein level. Other controls are included to permit such state conditions to be controlled in a desired manner, and further controls are included to permit manually overriding the automatic process controls.

Abstract: A method of dispensing a substance, in solid or liquid form, onto a crop material being baled, the substance being dispensed onto the crop material before it is baled at a rate which is dependent on the moisture content of the crop material and the bulk rate of flow of crop material through the baler. The method is applicable to round balers or square balers.

Abstract: A machine for harvesting and drying a standing forage crop comprising in combination a mower, a plurality of heated rollers for receiving a flow of crop cuttings conveyed from the mower to squeeze substantial excess moisture and evaporate any remaining excess moisture above a predetermined reference moisture range so that the crop cuttings upon issuance from the heated rollers are ready for baling immediately. Moisture detecters positioned preferably before and after the heated rollers signal the moisture content of the crop cuttings to a controller. The controller can vary the temperature of the rollers or vary the residency time of the crop cuttings between the rollers or both. In the preferred embodiment the heated rollers are electrically powered induction rollers and a baler is used in combination with the machine.

Abstract: Legumes and other plants can be dried quickly by contacting them with an aqueous solution of a mixture of carbonates consisting essentially of at least about 20% by weight of sodium sesquicarbonate, at least about 20% by weight of sodium carbonate and at least about 5% by weight of potassium carbonate, all based upon the total dry carbonate weight. The solution desirably is free of undissolved materials.