The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-05-28
POINTS TO BE CONSIDERED IN
BUILDING A SILO.

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BUILDING A SILO.
A silo may be constructed of stone,
brick, metal or wood. 1t may be erected
entirely underground. above ground
or a combination of the two. OF what
ever material it is constructed, it should
be:
1. AS nearly alright as possible.
2. Of such shape as to expose the
smallest possible amount of wall service
in proportion to it's capacity. That it
shall have as few corners as possible
Nearly all loss from rotting occurs along
the walls and in the corners; hence it
is important that these points be care
fully guarded. A square pit is much
better than rectangular one. Example:
Silo, 16x48x22 feet deep-2,816 square
feet of wall surface. A silo 32x32x22
feet deep has the same amount of wall
surface and will hold one third more
silage. A still better form is cylindri-
cal, as the wall surface is reduced and
the corners dispensed with. Example:
A round silo 81 2 feet in diameter and
80 feet deep has the same wall surface
as the two silos above described, and
will contain more than twO-thirds as
much silage as the rectangular one.
8. A smooth wall, 80 that the silage
may settle easily and uniformly, with
out leaving airpockets under the pro
jections, as in the case Of a rough wall.
4 It's greatest dimensions should be
it's depth, which ought to be thirty
feet.
5. The floor or bottom of the silo
should be made of concrete.
6. The walls should be thick enough
to prevent the silage from freezing.
z. Some means of ventilation should
be provided at the top of the silo and
between the walls in order to dry them
as soon as possible after the silage has
been removed.
g. The life of silo may be prolonged
by painting both layers>of the boards
with which the silo is lined, on one side
only with hot coal tar boiled until it is
not sticky when cold. The tarred sides
should be placed face to face in thesoil,
with tarred paper between them.
A cubic foot of silage weighs thirty
20 thirty-five pounds. It is safe to
figure on a COW eating cubic foot OF
silRge per day. The number Of cows
and the number of days they are to be
fed being known, it is an easy matter
to calculate the size of silo needed.
At least two inches Of slage should
be fed per day in order to keep it from
spelling on the surface.
The frame of square or rectangular
silo should be of 2x1O inch plank for
studding, placed not more than sixteen
inches apart, resting On two pieces of
2x8 inch, spiked together for sills
Great danger of spreading at the cor
ners is to be looked for, and anchor
bolts every three or four feet should be
used.
In round silo, 2x5 material is large
enough for the frame work, as it is
understood that the lining boards act
as so many hoops and preventthe walls
spreading, while the frame is only
needed to support the roof.
Excavation should be made to solid
earth belew freezing, and the founda
tiOn wall built sixteen to eighteen inches
above the ground, with inner surface
| sloping to the bottom of the silo.
The LHlng need not be of matched
boards. although they should be of uni
form width and thIckness.-H. II
Waters, Professor Of State College,
Penn.
The feathers from the duck are no
small part of the profit, if the fowls are
not sold until late in the season. In