Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1889-01-04
BUILDING A S 10.
Several small Ones Preferable to One yer,'
Large One. WI

Large One. H
The silo may be new building, an
annex, an old cellar, or hay "bay"
reiitted. The location should be such
as to prevent unnecessary expense in
construction and economic labor in
filling in aud In removing the contents.
As rule. these conditions are best
secured by placing the silo within, or
adjacent to "a hillside barn. Thorough
drainage is essential and the general
requirements for good ico-house ap-
ply very well to II silo. ltmay, there
fore, be wholly underground, or wholly
above the ground-level 1t is pretera-
BILE TO have the silo, partly under
ground to secure and maintain fairly
an even temperature, at all seasons.
For materials, stone, brick, concrete,
wood and paper may bo used, and n
simple trench or hole in the ground
will serve the purpose.
Excavations in an impervious soil,
or u well-drained gravel bed, which
may or may not be lined with boards,
TO prevent caving or insure cleanli-
ness, make good silos Such were the
first made in this country / know
such trenches III Illinois, simply dag
in the open field, through n tenacious
soil and n hard. pan sub-soil, TO a STRAIT
um Of gravel bolow-dllcd with uncut
corn, grown in the field, and covered
with the earth thrown out OF the pit,
which have made good ensilage, and
proved unquestionably profitable, for
several years. Yet | believe sub
stantial masonry silo is the true econo-
my, in the end. 1t should be water
tight, and preferably but not necessa-
rily air-tight and fro3t-proof. Oval or
rectangular is the best shape; II the
latter, the corners may be filled and
rounded or concaye. The walls should
be smooth and vertical, although some
prefer them to flare or slope Il little
from the bottom toward the top. Make
the silo small and deep, rather than
large and shallow, and the depth con-
siderably greater than the length,
width or diameter.
Several small silos are greatly to be
preferred TO one large one. They
may, Of course, be built adjoining,
aud II desired, communicating by
doo-l mt the bottom OF the partitions,
But the silo should not be too small in
surface. While | have preserved en-
silnge pretty well in boxes and bar
rcls, with and without pressure, well
housed, and exposed to all temper
atures ofthe year, am convincedt hat
for the best results. u silo should not
be less than ten feet IN its least dimcn-
sions, and prefer twelve feet, or even
fifteen feet; still good rule Is to have
the silo so suited in size to the quantity
OF ensilagc TO be used from 1t, that at
least three inches in depth over its en-
tire surface shall be removed daily, or
every other day, at any rate, while the
pit is open. III. i#
Although more labor is involved in
the method, unless hoisting apparatus
Is provided. the best plan seems to be
TO have no opening in the bottom or
walls, and to remove all the ensilage
by lifting It out. Side doors will ofteh
be found convenient, however, and
may be used, although n certain cause
of more or less loss Of material; II
used make these doors as small as pos
sible and take every precaution for
their being made nir-tight. .
II circumstances make the use of q
door advisable, aud thus empty tho
silo from the bottom, let the silo be
built deep and narrow, bat long with
the door at the end, instead of deep,
narrow and short, where the eusiiago
is removed from the top. The idea Is
to have the least possible surface of the
packed ensilage exposed to the air,
while the silo is open and its contents
being daily removed. A curb, apron
or upward turning extension of the
walls should bo made, equal to one
third of the depth of the permanent
structure, to allow for the settling, and
this may be of wood in all cases. =
Prof II. Il. Alrord, in Farm and Home.