A swath roller apparatus is adapted to be attached to a swather, where theswather isoperative to cut standing crop plants and lay cut plants in a swath as theswather movesalong the ground in an operating travel direction. A drum is rotatablyattached to an axlethat is adapted to be movably attached to a rear portion of the swather suchthat the axleis oriented substantially horizontally and perpendicular to the operatingtravel direction,and such that the drum moves up and down and rolls along a top of the swathexerting adownward anchoring force on the swath. A bias element is operative to exert abias forceon the axle, and a bias force control is operative to vary the bias force tovary theanchoring force.
