Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-30
LESSON IN sILo BUILDING
Description of Construction Ac-
cording to Gurler Plan
and Cost.

Silo building is now one of the things
that every progressive farmer is Try
ing to learn. Even if he can AFFORD
to hire a contractor to do all the work
- which is quite unnecessary = he
should understand the construction IN
all of its details in order that he may
know that his slo is properly built.
A weak foundation may cause the loss
of the silo itself, while walls that ad-
NIT air may render useless all the
silage the building contains.
Professor WILDER j. Frazer OF the
dairy department of the Illinois COL
lege Of Agriculture has recently issued
very valuable bulletin describing the
construction Of the Gurler style OF slio
in terms so simple and with illustra-
tons so clear and practical that any
farmer, with the aid OF carpenter
can from the directions given by FRO
lessor Frazer build a silo that VIII
stand the pressure and keep its con-
tents sweet.
The silo described in this article is
now in use on the Illinois state farm.
It is 20 feet in diameter, 341s feet deep,
holds 228 tons and cost $3S3.27.
The foundation is perhaps the most
Important part of the construction. In
this silo circle 20 feet 10 inches IN
diameter and 4 feet deep was cut
and a 4-inch brick wall was laid up
against the clay. Mortar was slushed
in at the back to help the wall resist
the pressure. Within one foot OF the
top the wall was thickened to inches
and carried inches above the grade
line.
The wall Of this silo was strength
ened by an iron hook imbedded in it
- TILED drains
should be laid in the bottom OF every
bit or there is sure to be trouble from
water.
On top of the brick foundation was
laid sill made of 2x4s, cut in 2-foot
lengths, Embedded in mortar. The
studs, 16 feet long and 2x4 inches, were
toe nailed to the sill. A large post 16
Z feet long was set in the ground In the
center Of the excavation and boards
extending from this to the studs about
s feet high held them perpendicular.
A half-inch board was then pent
around the outside of the studs at this
height and the studs were tackled to
it as fast as they were plumbed.
The lining was made of common 16-
foot fencing, split in two, and was put
on the inside, beginning at the bot
tom. The upper portions of the studs
were then plumbed and held in place
by pieces radiating from the post In
the center and by boards sprung on
the circumference of the silo. Always
break joints in ceiling.
Garry up the staging on inside as
last as the ceiling. When the top OF
the first studs is reached they are
spiked to the sides Of the lower, tapping
two feet, and another section can then
be plumbed. The ceiling is continued
on the inside to within inches of the
top, and the plate, which consists OF
2x4s cut into 2-foot lengths, was then
spiked on top of the studs.
On each Of the line of doorways were
set two 2x4s spiked together These
were placed so that the edge of the
2x4s faced the doorways, leaving the
fat side for the doors to rest agains
in resisting the pressure from the
silage. In this way there was no cracl
in the 2x4s where the plaster and dool
joins.
AS the silo was partiallys cut in TIVE
on the side where the openings wer
left by ceiling that side of tn
silo was provided with an extr;
thickness from the bottom to the tor
using half Inch lumber. The doorway
were Of course left in the middle o
this extra ceiling and the spaces be
UW6SU lIe uOOIS WSlo illus SoNSi g
with two thicknesses. There were n
broken joints for IA feet.
The silo was then lathed with com
mon 4-foot lath, breaking joints. 1t
plastered with one part Portland ce
ment, two parts good, sharp sand, an
received two coats. The second Goa
extended continuously from the bot
tom of the brick work to the top c
the silo, uniting the foundation an
the superstructure and giving an air
tight wall for the entire silo.
The silo contains four doors mad
of two thicknesses of common foorin
In opposite directions with tar pape
between. They are 20 inches wide, q
feet high and are placed 4 feet apar
The top of the upper door is fet
below the plate.
In order to preserve the silo in GOO
condition it is absolutely necessal
that the half-inch ceiling be protecte
from dampness. The plaster therefor
must be of good quality and kept PEE
fectly watertight by cementing up ar
4. cracks that may appear so that Il
wood shall receive no moisture fro
the silage.
Ventilation is also important, ar
this was provided for in this silo Il
allowing free circulation of air b.
tween the sheeting and the lining.
2-inch space was also left at the t,
above the plaster and below the plat
These spaces We're covered with hea-
wire netting to keep out rats and mic
The silo on the Illinois farm h
peen nlled twice and both years t
silage has kept perfectly, even next t
wall and next the doors.
The first spring, when the cows we
turned out to pasture, about seven fe
of silage remained A small silo +
summer feeding was then opened a
the rotten silage from the top of IL
silo was distributed over the go
silage in the large one to depth
about six inches. When ready to
again in the fall there were about eig
Inches of rotten silage to remove. OF
two inches of the good silage havi
spoiled Fresh corn was run on
Ion of this and the whola lyan+ -,