Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-02
What the siIo Is and Does.

What the Sllo Is and Does.
The first silos were in France, some
thirty or more years ago. They were
sunk in the earth, and except for the
Inconvenience, there is no better place
for silo to-day. The corn was thickly
sown and put In before maturity. A
little later they were tried in this coun-
try, with the same sort of corn for fill
ing. The cows responded in their milk
when it was fed, but it was very acid,
and the effect on milk and the animal
was not altogether what might be desir-
ed. The prejudice of the Bordens
against silage had its rise from this kind
The structures were costly, and altogeth-
er they were only luxuries for the
wealthy to experiment with. But care
full, practical men who had watched the
proceeding realized what it meant to
save the entire stalk green, and, with
the aid of the experiment stations, it
was demonstrated that a silo need not be
expensive, that the corn was best when
thinly planted and matured, and that
the ears were as valuable cooked in the
silo as when husked and ground into
meal. Slowly but surely the silo came
into practical use. Mistakes were made
in building cheap, temporary structures.
Some went to the extreme of putting in
too much grain, with the result that
large amount of it was passed with the
weddings. Now the silo has come to
stay, and milk cannot as economically
be made without one. They are no
longer a luxury for the rich, but neces.
sity for the poor man, who must get the
most from his crops and cows.
/ had silos for wet brewers grains
twenty-five years ago. One of them
held eighty tons. But was very much
prejudiced against the silo for corn.
When saw others who patronized the
same creamery, who were feeding silage,
getting more milk on less feed and their
cows in just as good condition, the eyes
of my understanding began to be en-
lightened. Being Dutch and conserva-
tive, to prove the thing l dug pit in
the earth, lined it with boards, as had
done for the brewery grains, and filled
it with corn. In February We opened
this silo, and fed one feed day, in
in place of feed of the same corn fod-
der dry, which had been carefully hous-
ed and was in nice condition. At the
end of three days We had two pounds of
butter more day from twenty-five
cows, worth so cents. All other con-
ditions were the same. The next year
built silo, which was later raised six
feet. Since then have built two more,
with total capacity of three hundred
tons.
Any silo which is tight is practicable.
This is the first requisite. Then come
the questions of durability and economy.
T he latter is not always found in the
silo costing the least to erect, however
well, for the time being, it may fulfil
the first requisite. After careful in
vestigation and experience l have come
to believe that where one wants silo
for a lifetime he will best secure the
above by building of concrete hollow
blocks. OF course, in some cases, for
other reasons, this may not be practical
to erect. 1t is indestructibe. True,
sometimes those of wood, as in the case
cited, last a long time, but these are the
exceptions. In addition to the decay,
there is always the chance Of the stave
silo shrinking so that IL will get out OF
shape or fall down. Where one has the
materials within easy reach and can have
the blocks made on the farm the cost is
not greatly in excess of first class stave
silo. There is no question about their
keeping the silage.
| have seen silage come out of wood
en silo where, the lumber being dry, the
moisture from the corn was absorbed by
them and the silage spoiled around the
outside. have had the same thing hap
pen in a brick silo. Stone is a better
conductor of heat and cold than wood;
therefore theoretically, wooden struct-
ure should preserve the silage better
than stone. Practically l have had as
good silage from solid concrete silo as l
ever saw. With the hollow blocks max
ing an air space this danger is done
away with; also the frost is kept out.
Such silo will not freeze as quickly as
one of one thickness of wood. Freezing
does the silage no harm il it is fed as
soon as the frost is out of it. In fact,
suppose if one could keep it frozen un-
til ready to feed it would keep indefinite
ly. After it has thawed out it dete-
riorates very quickly. or course frozen
silage should never be fed while in that
state. II is better to cover the inside OF
the cement silo with dressing of pure
cement, as the acid in the silage may
have some effect on the wall.
There is no question that to cover the
inside of the silo with preservative,
like some of the creosote materials on
the market, will help to preserve them
from decay, and rendering them less
porous, the silage will keep better.-Ed-
ward Van Alstyne in Tribune Farmer.