A rectangular baler (10) includes a crop delivery duct (46) defining a pre-compression chamber which is curved upwardly and rearwardly from an open forward end and an inlet (36) located across the bottom of a baling chamber (18). One or more vertical partitions (66, 68) extend between top and bottom walls (50, 52) of the pre-compression chamber and divide it into equal sized channels (60, 62, 64). Respectively located in fore-and-aft alignment with front edges of the partitions (66, 68) is at least one stationary knife (72, 74) forming part of a crop cutting arrangement (70) including a pre-cutter rotor (76) carrying at least one pair of blades, with said pair cooperating with a stationary knife (72, 74) to cut incoming crop into three segments which are respectively moved into the three channels (60, 62, 64) by a packer arrangement (91). Once the crop in the pre-compression duct (46) attains a preselected density, a stuffer arrangement (96) is actuated to lift separate charges of crop from the three channels (60, 62, 64) and force them into the baling chamber (18) where they are compressed into three separate, side-by-side flakes by the baler plunger (20). When sufficient charges have been compressed to form three bales (42) having a desired thickness in one embodiment, or a desired length in another embodiment, two lengths of twine (106) are tied about each of the three bales (42).
