The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-05-12
BUILDING A SILO.

Emery, OF the N. Q. Experiment Sta !
tion, recently had az article on this
subject in the Biblical Recorder. AS
Prof Emery is well acquainted with
the subject, we give it in full. He says:
eve have been asked to give direc
tions for building a asilo for use on email
farme.' There are several ways that
are simple, durable and cheap. O e
following the originals very closely is
simply hole in the ground. The word
clio comes from the Egyptian sir0, and
1t IL said in Espyt that wheat used TO
be stored in q jug shaped cavity il the
| earth, the top Of which was sealed up
when Fl led with grain il order to save
the grain from woavils Tne Germans
used ID preserve sugar beet tops by
scoopjug out a place on which 10 pile
| the tops. ard then cover with a few
! inches (5ix or eighD Of earth.
There are some silos ia NJr.h Caro-
line which have b7on made by an ex
ctvation (raund or eq4are) u the earth
and vgui III Is boarded 2 liUIla above the
rurfaca anG rooted over. TIE eiIage
/ en- % rut II contact vi16 Jne carJn
-idas. a Dasanje instance may be sean
! a. C.ovoTdaIe Stock and Dairy Farm,
| near r leigh ,vher>, for "a number Of
! gears, this form Of 10 has bean in
| regular u.s.. There - only one serious
abjacEon TO Ahosa excaFaJad 8iIos: the
hard labor Of lifting out the sIa5e is
| too SLOW and clsts too mich.
The modern s!i5 is built ab1ve the
ground ana should b9 round or square
with the corners cut eff making Il TO
ward the shape of an octagon, but
really taking IF much less Of the cor
uers. Tnis does very well but the civ
Gle preserves the contents better. A
circular sjIo may be built according to
the plans detailed By cuts and minute
directions ii the North Carolina Ex-
pertinent Station Bulletin 80. These
silOs are built OF PA inch stu1ding set
on g circular foundation and boarded
up round and round with halfinch
fencing. At A & 81. College and o.
coheechee Farm there may be seen
silos built Of stav exactly like
straight sidcd tank with an earthen or
cement bottom.
To build g silo first select site which
will be easy to reach with the wagons
and frcm which the farm stock can be
easily fed. Make a frost proof founda
ard raise it j Ist enough above the level
of the earth Sd the drip from the roof
will not sratter the wood work TO
get the circle and level it when doing
the mason work, set up a stake in the
plat where the middle of the silo / to
oe and at the height the wall is de,
sired With a garden line and stick
scribe circle on tha ground, using a
length Of the line for G. radius equal to
half the diameter desired for the sil0,
add to this the thickness OF the f0un1a-
ton wall, and scribe q second circle
! Outside Of the outer circle and five or
SIX feet from it set six Or more stakes
and saw eff or drive down level with
that at the center. Nail straight edge
boards frCm stake to stake on the out
side and level with the tops OF the
| stakes. A mas0n's level-boerd or @
stretched line with one end On the cen
ter post and the other end on tbs circle
of boards level with the foundation.
Cut 2x8 or 2x1O inch plank two
inches thick into about two feet lengths,
but cut so they will join together well
on the top Of the wall and nail down to
the cemented foundation with twenty
penny nails Cut a second lot of the
same plank and fit over the fist to
break joints with them. Now set up
the 2s4 studdiUg at the outer edge Of
the sill just put on. Then brace and
begin boarding up by cutting the fret
board from full width at one end to a
half inch at the other and begin at the
narrow end and nail to a stud; spring
to the next and nail, and so continue
round and round until the proper
height is reached. Do the same on the
inside, then put paper round the inside,
! and put on the second inside course of
boards. All the boards should have
boen dressed to even thickness. The
outside may have been covered with
German siding. Put on plate as for
sills, and put on roof. A door must be
left at the bottom, and other doors
above and aside from the first from
which to feed the silage. A door in
some convenient part of the roof above
the plate serves for use in filling the