River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-09-21
BEST TYPES OF
SILOS FOR STATE
BY PROF. C. A. OCOCK,
Wisconsin College of Agriculture.

Silo should be round, since less ma
terial is required for the construction
of round silo of given capacity than
for one of any other shape. S1lage
will keep better in a round silo, for
this shape makes possible more thor
Ough packing.
The silo should be air-tight; other
wise air will come in contact with the
siiage and cause rotting or dry fir
ing"
The inner surface of the wall should
be smooth II the inside wall has IT.
Irregularities, there is almost a GER
tainty that open spaces will be left
between the wall and the silage as the
latter settles. The air will pass in at
these openings with results mentioned
above.
The walls should be rigid enough to
prevent cracking; they are also better
able to Withstand strong winds, which
exert great force upon the side of
silo
The walls should be non-conductors
Of heat and cold, since silage is kept
nearer the temperature at which it
was packed during the filling.
To include all of these features of
good silo there can be no better type
than the well-constructed concrete
silo
The materials which are now being
used are wood, stone, brick, tile, iron
and concrete, or combination of
some Of these materials. Silage will
keep as well in one as in the other,
If the proper care is exercised in fill
ing. There need be no hesitancy in
building a silo of any of these materi-
ais where the proper precautions are
taken in it's construction. OF these
substances, concrete has been found
entirely satisfactory and will ultimate
ly become very popular.
The sine is not far distant when
the wooden or stave silo must be sup
planted In most cases by one of a
more substantial material. Good lum-
Der Is scarce and it's extremely high
price Is compelling the builders to
look for something less expensive and
more durable.
The redeeming feature of a stave
silo are: quickness of erection, adapta-
bility to any size Of structure and a
very smooth surface on the interior
which does not cause the silage to
drag when settling. By buying stave
silo from the manufacturer all ready
to set up the farmer is relieved of the
difficulties of planning the structure.
He has only to order slio Of the de-
sired dimensions and the details will
be worked out at the factory.
Concrete silos Ers simple of con-
struction, cheap aad durable. They
are more easily constructed and re-
oufre less skill In building than the
Modern Gurler or tht Old Wisconsin
silo which has been in use for many
years. They cost little, if any, more
than the best wooden silo and about
half as much as brick or tile silo.
Their period of usefulness is many
times that of wooden silos and equals,
or excels, other materials. Concrete
structures have been in constant use
for hundreds of years.
The most common criticism of the
concrete silo is that the silage freezes
in it. There may be reason for such
condemnation, but there Is the same
possibility of freezing In any silo
Where the silo is given proper at
tention, little If any freezing will be
experienced. Some builders advocate
silos without roofs or those that are
not tight There are many states
where such construction might be sat-
isfactory, but in Wisconsin good roof
is needed. On a concrete silo it should
be made of concrete.