The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-03-25

AFRAID to try it. A neighbor VIII,
built a silo three years ago had hi
9 silo, machinery and cutter burnt u,
: last winter. The silo was rebuilt las
summer and filed with corn stalks
pea vines, uncut This ensilage is az
good as anyI have ever seenNsweet,
er than mine, which was cut fine, and
is little moro trouble to take from the
sllo than that cut fine. l shall put
up large portion of mine next wear
without cutting. This fact renders it
possible for every farmer who makes
q one-horse crop to put up ensilape,
as the great bar of their doing SO was
the outlay of money for cutter, ma
chinery, &c. This may all be obviated
now. The only outlay required is the
building of silo, at cost of not over
81 per ton, and which any one can do,
of mechanical capacity, without the
help of skilled mechanic. knowing
its great value, I earnestly hope the
Southern people will adopt this sys,
tenn. 1t is an outrage that, having
such advantages, we should be so de-
pendent.
That Our friends may not go wrong
in the construction of the above
ground silo l will here give de-
scription of it in detail These silos
were built in 1881, and have been fill
ed four times, the cnsilage being
we'll preserved. First, I dug trench
for foundation sills 43 feet long, Ia
wide and 8 inches deep. Into these
lput the sills, of white oak, all heart,
lO inches square, framing a sill of the
same size across the middle. This
makes the foundation for two sllos,
inside measure 20 feet long by 12 feet
wide. L put studs of heart oak into
these sills, ten feet long, two by six
inches, two feet apart, intending the
silos to be 10 feet deep, then with
one-inch plank boarded up each side,
studs being 10 feet high, fill the spaces
between the studs and inner and out
Ell walls of plank with sand (saw-dust
will answer as weW, thus making an
air-tight wall, which is all that is nee
essary, however it may be done. The
6 feet of studding above the walls or
body of the silo is necessary Tor the
purpose of filing, tramping, weight
ing, &c. [ have one door to each
silo at the outer end, made by having
the two middle studs 3 feet apart. To
these hang two doors Is inches wide,
b feet long to the inner edge of studs,
the doors to open outward. Then
close the doors and nail on boards to
outer edge of studs, and fill between
doors and boards with earth, and YOU
have the same wall rs the other parts
of the silo. When you wish to open
the doors rip off the boards in front
when the earth falls and the doors
open outward, exposing the ensilage
or course, the studs are framed into
plates above, which should be done
IN substantial manner, as the pres
sure from wcighting the silo is quite
severe. My roofs extend 3 feet be-
yond tho sides and ends, to prevent
rain from being blown in on the en-
silage. After filling the silo I first
cover the ensilage with inch-plank,
placing of them down lengthwise; !;
then cover these with pine or wheat
straw to prevent earth or sand from
getting in; then cover with earth Is
inches deep and you may rest assured
that your ensilago is safe. I prefer
common earth for weighting, for two
reasons-tirst, it is moro easily han
died; and second it excludes tho air
better than anything else. When
feeding the cusilago first take out the
front doors from bottom to top,
about two feet; then or each side,
until the end is taken out; then put
III good substantial props to hold the
planks and keep the weight from
bending thom down, which repeat,
propping every 3 feet as the ensilage
is taken out, until the whole is ex-
hausted. Care should be taken that
this propping be well done, otherwise
the planks above may give way and
endanger the safety Of the feeders.
1t bas been we'll said that "our
people must learn to grow everything
for man and beast before they can
claim to be self-sustaining;" and more,
they must learn to mako it without
running in debt. No general PROS
perity can prevail until we can make
what we consume before we consume
it. Easy credits will destroy any
people; it demoralizos the thrifty and
makes paupers Of the unthrifty.
Very truly yours,
G.. w. GARRET.
To Mr.. JOHN Orr, Secretary, &c.
Richmond, Va.