The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-12-10

49,
the corners Of a square SllO. n IN
ner surface of the wall must be per-
fectly smooth in order to facilitate
the settling of the silage, and one or
two men should be kept in the silo TO
distribute h silage evenly over the
surface as the machine dumps 1t IN,
and to tramp it firm next to the wall.
Since the greater the depth Of the
mass Of silage the firmer will its own
weight pack it by settling, the sllo
| should be not less than 80 feet nigh,
and il more than 40 feet high the ex-
lense of filling is too great. About
36 to 40 feet is advisable.
storing feed in a silo rather than dry
ing it and then stacking it or storing
it under shelter are the following:
First and most important, the s1lo
offers the only means OF preserving
and utilizing the entire feeding value
of the forage. For instance, 1t has
been ascertained that when the corn
plant reaches that stage OF maturity
when the grain passes from the mix
state to the dough state, there is stor-
ed in the plant-stalk. blades, musk
and cara greater quantity OF oil
gestible nutrients than at other
stage, and if it be cut and stored in
the silo then, there is no loss: but
when left to be handled in the ordi-
a d lAlV1C - q 1OOS VI . W ~ ~
cent-equal to a loss Of 25 to 40 bush
els out Of every 100. When the
points Of the husk turn brown n the
grains dent is the proper stage to cut
corn for the silO. Sorghum should be
cut when the seed are in h dough.
Second, a crop OF corn or sorghum
when ensiloed is harvested and stored
away much more rapidly and econom-
ically, is stored in much less space,
and is more convenient to feed out
than when handled in the ordinary
way.
Third, in the form Of silaee, the feed
is much more palatable, more easily
Gjgested, keeps stock in better health
and keeps up the flow Of milk and the
June grass color Of the butter all win
ter, and even through q unmer
drouth.
Bulletin No. 10 Of the Missouri sta
ton, by c. H.. Eckles, states that a
crop Of corn yielding 80 bushels to the
acre will make s ton of silage to the
acre, and that If the number of bush
els per acre be divided by 5 the result
will be the number of tons Of silage
per acre. Thus, 40 bushels make 8
tons, SO bushels 10 tons, 50 bushels
II tons, and SO on.
Mr.. Eckles link that 40 pounds Of
silase a day is as much as any animal
should require, and at this ate 10
So"o WO0AA 1CHuA1c o0 lOAS " v
months or $50 days; II cows 43 tons,
Is cows 54 tons, 20 COWS 70 tons, %
cows 80 tons, 80 cows 10S tons and SO
on.
A round silo sc feet high will hold
the following number Of tons accord
10 feet, 81 tons; II feet. 80 tons; IA
feet, ia tons; Is feet, 1853 tons; Is
feet, 1914 tons.
While the silo may be constructed
OF wood. brick. stone, sheet iron or
concrete. probably nine-tenths of the
silOs built within the last two years
have been made either Of wooden
slaves or reinforced concrete. If well
constructed Of these preserves
the siIage as we'll as the other. The
concrete has the advantage Of being
freproof, less likely to be blown
down, does not shrink apart when
empty and dried out, and it is prac-
tically everlasting.
The stave silo lasts s or 10 years if
made OF untreated pine slaves and Is
years if made Of cypress. If the slaves
be %creosoted they last longer and
shrink less The firms that advertise
stave Silos will send literature telling
how to erect them, anchor them and
care for them.
The concrete silo should be made
with wall Is inches thick, using curv-
ed cores to make 1ues 6x18 inches
extending from the ground to the top
and separated by -four incl walls tie
ing the outer and inner walls togeth-
err. The outer wall should be 5 inches
thick and the inner wall 4 inches
thick; the outer and inner forms
> should be 3 to 5 feet high, so that a
3 to 5 foot section of the entire silo
can be constructed each day. These
forms can be hoisted by block and
tackle for the next section, and the
cores can be hoisted by hand. Barb
= wire can be used for reinforcing, i'm
: bedding several strands Of it in the
outer surface Of that wall, every foot
in height. Wire from an abandoned
{ fence will do if not too much weak
ened by rust. Though a round wall
Is inches thick is not likely to be
$ clown over, upright steel ID may be
E used in the cross partitions between