Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-02-07
Building q SilO.


Several years ago began Investigate
ing the merits of the silo, and visited
those in use on farms of prominent and
successful stock farmers in New York.
Ohio and Wisconsin. learned Of fail
ures and of successes. The failures
could nearly all be traced to lack of
care and thoroughness in construc-
ton of silo or filling. Much trouble
has been experienced in having silos
spread at bottom or sides, and thus let
in the air. In order to overcome some
of the defects l had observed, l built
upon different plan from any 1 had
seen, and built the first one 12x12 feet
and p feet deep. 1t was so much of a
success that the following year built
one more of same style and size and
one other 12x14, % feet deep; the next
year another one 12x16 and 20 feet
deep. All have stood the test and are
as strong and good as when first built,
and would build again on the same
plan.
First an 1s-inch wall laid in common
lime mortar, enclosing, say, 121ax141z
feet square, and from the bottom of
the pit build wall high enough to
bring all timbers above the ground,
where they will be dry. On top of
this wall lay fiat on the mortar 2xS
pine plank all around, with the edge
of the plank IL inches back from in
side face of wall, and on top of this
plank lay another of the same, 2xs, all
around so as to break joists, and spike
firmly to first plank. This, then, is
your sill, AXIS, lying fiat on top of the
wall, and needs no boiling, bracing or
fastening whatever. Now take a 2x4
pine and saw off four blocks, each
inches long, and set them on edge
across each of the four corners and
toe nail them lightly to place with 1Od
wire nails. Now 2xS, ID feet long,
across each end, laid fat on top of
2x4 blocks, and nailed to the blocks
with one god nail at each end; now
2xS, 16 feet on each side and reach
ing across, and on top of the end
at the four corners where they
cross each other with three or four
cod nails at each corner. Next,
take 2xS and saw off four blocks just
long enough to slip in endwise be-
tween your sill and the planks you
have put on, and nail them to place.
One of these blocks on each side near
the center will keep your plank from
sagging. New cut more 2x4 corner
blocks as before and put in place and
the plank on top of the blocks as be-
fore, and continue to build up in this
way as high as you want your silo,
keeping the inside edge of your 2xs
pieces all even. This is all there is to
the frame; all built of 2xs laid up like
log house with blocks to hold them
apart, and firmly spiked together at
the corners. Board up inside with pine
shiplap, letting bottom ends of boards
rest on top of wall, then tarred paper
on the boards and another boarding of
shiplap over the paper, put on up and
down, as the first was. About four or
five feet above the bottom cut out one
or two planks and put in plank door
frame about 20 to "a inches square, and
once in six or seven feet have
door of this size, one above another,
out of which you throw or pitch the
ensilage.
Make doors double shiplap, with
tarred paper between. Fit one door in
from inside smooth with the surface
of boarding, and another made in
same way fitted in from outside, MAX
ing dead air space between the doors.
This finishes the wood work.
Now take any kind ofrock and throw
into the bottom of the silo, breaking
it up fine, and pound it in close until
you have six or eight inches of stone
in the bottom, so close that no rat can
dig through. Now take water, lime,
cement and cover the bottom and
plaster the wall up smooth to the
boarding. making the bottom air and
water tight as high as your wall.
Using 4-inch corner blocks as l have
directed, makes your frame planks just
six inches apart, which gives strength
enough for IA or 16-foot silo. When
frame is up one fourth its height you
can use 6-inch corner blocks, and when
frame is one half way up use s-inch
corner blocks, and when three fourths
the way up use 10 or 12-inch corner
blocks the balance of the way up. In
building this kind of frame you can
get all the strength you need at the
lower part of silo, and as light as you
wish near the top. Boards all ex-
tending up and down, the ensilage
settles more easily and closely than it
would across the boards, and the
latter dry out more quickly after
emptying.
My silos are all in the barns, there
fore 1 put on no roof nor outside
boarding, and the frame is always dry.
If building outside of the barn, would
build in the same way, adding roof
and outside boarding, and would have
corner boards hung on hinges so as to
be swung open in summer, and thus
give free circulation of air around the
frame to dry it out as soon as empty.
use all light timber, it is all rough
work, and any ordinary hand can build
one. My barns all have basement
stables, and the silos start one foot be-