Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-02-04

FIG. XI1.-ERECTING A STAvE SILo.
liable feed for dairy cows. TWENTY-FIVE
to thirty pounds of silage per day will
keep the milk yields up to a point
practically as high as could be reached
on pasture. A silo is Indispensable on
the dairy farm. 1t means summer
conditions all the year round.
The value of silage for beef steers
has not been fully demonstrated as
yet. although a great many feeders are
using it with satisfaction. Used in
moderate quantities, it cheapens the
cost of gain and keeps the animals
healthy. For calves and stock cattle
silage is an excellent feed, keeping
them thrifty and making cheaper gains
than could be produced in any other
way.
All kinds of sheep do well on silage.
1t is good feed for hogs If fed in
moderation. and chickens are very
fond of it.
The main consideration in locating
the silo is to have it convenient. Since
most of the silage will probably be fed
to dairy cows. the best place for the
silo will be at the end of the COW barn.
Feeding hunks can be arranged close
to the silo for feeding silage to young
stock.
Wooden SiIos.
There are several types Of silos
Many of the first silos put up were
built of lumber double walled and
sided on the outside. This made a
very good silo. but one that was alto
gether too expensive. A later and
more popular type is the stave silo.
This is made much the same as
wooden tank. 1t consists of long
slaves held in place by hoops. with
row Of doors on one side. Stave silos
are used more extensively at present
than any other type. They are cheap.
easy to erect and fairly durable. This
latter point depends largely upon the
kind of wood used. White pine and
redwood are the best materials for
slaves. They will last twenty years or
more. Cypress. Oregon fir. larch and
hard pine are all durable woods for
silo construction. Whatever kind of
lumber is used it should be of the best
quality. straight grained. sound and
free from loose knots. A stave silo
should be kept we'll painted on the
outside. 1t must be anchored solidly
with guy wires. as it will blow over
easily when empty. The hoops will
need to be frightened in the summer
time when the lumber shrinks and
loosened again when the silo is filed.
Cement and Tile SiIos.
Concrete is used to considerable
extent in silo construction. If proper
ly put up a concrete silo is practically
lndestructible. Silos must be well re-
enforced with steel wire and must be.
put up by some one who understands
the business If they are to be satisfac-
tory. Silage freezes worse in cement
than in a stave silo. A double walled
cement silo does away with this OBJ
lection. although it increases the cost
considerably. With the recent high
prices of lumber, however. a good dou-
BILE walled concrete silo does not great
ly exceed good stave silo of the
same size in cost.
Stone. brick and cement blocks are
all used for silos with good results.
The main thing is to get them laid &C.
curately and properly REINFORCED.
A silo made of hollow building tile
is giving good satisfaction at the Iowa
experiment station. These tiles are
laid in cement. being put together edge
wise. The resulting dead air space Is
very effective in preventing freezing.
When lined with coating Of cement
such silo is air and moisture proof
1t is as durable and satisfactory as o
double walled concrete silo. costs less
and there is less risk of failure due
to improper erection.
Details of Construction.
While the silo should be located al
close to the barn as possible. it is moi
advisable to put it inside the barn
1t takes up room that is needed NOR,
for other purposes. is unhandy to fill
and the odor Of the silage is objection
able. There will be some odor any
way, but not so much when the silk
is located outside the barn. A handy
method of construction is to connec
the silo with the feedway of the bari