The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-04-10
AGRICULTURAL.
SilOs.


The construction and repair of silos
is a problem Of leading interest to
farmers who have them and to farm
ers who do not have them as well, be-
cause in few years the silo is sure to
become almost universal among dairy
men and stock raisers in all parts of
the country where Indian corn will
grow. The first silos made were ex-
pensive in structure, built of stone laid
in cement and cost from $500 to $500
according to nize and cost of material.
Under these conditions but few farm
ers could or would build silos. Later
wooden silos came into existence and
it was found that if they were tight the
ensilage would keep as well in these
cheap wooden structures as in the
costly stone silos. Many silos in barns
are made with one thickness of match
ed lumber, and answer the purpose for
few years, keeping the ensilage in a
perfect or nearly perfect condition.
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which break joints, sometimes with
tarred paper between the boards. But
with either plan of construction the
boards will swell when the silo is filed,
and shrink when empty and cracks will
appear, letting in the air which rots the
ensilage and causes loss which the
farmer cannot afford. My silo is 9x13
feet and 10 feet deep, and was made of
good spruce boards one inch thick, the
boards running up and down and break
ing joints. 1t kept ensilage very well
for two or three years. But later the
ensilage rotted in some of the corners
and two or three places on the sides.
To remedy the difficulty 1 thought of
plastering the inside with cement. But
as had seen several plastered silos
where the cement had fallen off did
not care to try the experiment in that
way. finally adopted the following
plan for the repairs.
1 had some half-inch boards split in
strips one and one-half inches wide.
These were nailed on the silo up and
down three feet apart. l then took
half-inch boards from seven to nine
inches wide. Before beginning oper-
atoms made some lime mortar, using
four barrels OF sand to one of good,
unslacked lime. l then nailed one
course of boards to the strips above
named around the bottom of the silo.
With the mortar l filled the spaces be-
tween the half inch boards and the silo
wall. Then nailed on another board
and filled the spaces as before; and SO
/ continued until the silo was lined to
the top, being careful to fit boards in
the corners aud fill back of them with
mortar. The silo has been in use three
years since 1t was lined and its keepinS
facilities seem to be perfect. Since
lining my silo in this way others have
tried the same plan with complete suc-
cess. The plan could be used where
silos had begun to decay. The cost is
small, and thus far the results are very
gratifying. The mortar should not be
too thin, and can be easily tramped in
by mailing half of wide single (the
thick part to strip of inch board
about two inches wide.
1 believe the best and cheapest silo
is the round one, made of 2X6 slaves
grooved and tongued and well hoped
with SO or "a iron rods. Every silo
should have cement bottom. Clay
would answer the purpose if there
were no rats or mice about the prem
ises. Clay will not stop these pests,
but cement will.
ALPHA MEsSER.