Dakota farmers' advocate. (Canton, S.D.) 18??-1890, 1890-08-15
BNs1LAGE FOE STOCK.

! s.H
[By J. W. Cook.
Last season built my silo, the only
one in my part Of the town, and my
original knowledge of it was all gathered
from newspaper articles. In the barn
Itookfor the silo two bays, which ex-
tended to the bottom Of the cellar, 10 feet
below the floor, and up to the girder 8
feet. They were when finished (each
bay making a silo,) 12xl3a feet, 10 feet
deep.
The material used was 3x4 joist, with
common hemlock or pine boards for a.
covering. On this was a covering of
tarred paper. and I covered it again with
pitched pine boards, being careful to
breaks joints as in shingling. The bot
tom was cemented with Portland cement
If properly done, the result is silo as
tight as glass jar.
The two essential points in building a.
silo are to have it air tight, and to have
it properly braced. found that one of
my silos had sprung off just enough to
admit the air Consequently ton or
two Of ensilage was injured making d
loss Of more than twice enough to have
paid for doing it properly.
The material used for filling was corn,
seven acres of common field corn. which
| allowed to stand until it's glazing state,
just in the right condition to cut up and
shock; three acres of sweet corn, first
gathering the corn and sending it to the
tran7ring fartUrt producing $50 Ito, the
acre,) and three acres Of fiat corn sown in
drills on poor land, using 25O pounds of
phosphate to the acre. When this last
was cut the ears were just forming.
! cut from each piece as filed. so as
to have it thoroughly mixed, no two
loads being put in at the same time from
time, putting in twenty-five tons per day,
though thirty tons is not hard days
work. There was man in the silo all
the time leveling off and treading down.
The sides should be kept little higher
than the center, and that is where most
of the treading should be done, so that
when it settles the sides shall not go be-
low the center, thus causing an air space
on the outer sides. which would iniure
the ensilage.
When filed, a covering of oat straw
was put on about a foot in depth, and
this was covered tightly with planks
weighted with phosphate bags filed with
loan, about fifty pounds to the square
foot. When removed, the loan makes
good beding for cattle.
The mass settled to about fifteen feet
in height, thus giving me about 120 tons.
reckoning fifty pounds to the cubic foot,
which am inclined to think little too
much. Perhaps forty-five pounds would
be nearer. This summer l shall enlarge.
going to the beams, thus giving a capac-
ity for 200 tons, which shall fill if corn
grows as well this year as last. I am
well satisfied that the silo is the way out
Of our present troubles on account of the
low price of farm products. Now we
can keep more cattle at a very much
lower cost, and keep them much better. a
My silo was opened on Nov. 10, feed
ing thirty-one head of cattle, ranging all
the way from calves to cows and 3-year-
old steers. The last fed out on April 49,
The animals were fed on ensilage three
times day, giving a bushel to three
cows or steers at feeding; once on un-
threshed oats at noon, and once on oat or
rye straw at night. The only grain fed
was four quarts of shorts to each animal.
There is another lot of twenty-one head,
and 2-year-old steers ON my farm,
which have had wintered ut another
barn on some grain or good stock. hay
and unthreshed oats. These have not
made the growth that the Others have,
thus given a practical proof of the ad-
vantages of feeding on silage. The sill
age cost less than % per ton, and q tons
are fully equal to a ton Of the best early
cut hay.