The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-07-26
THE UNDERGROUND sILo
(By VIM. Hubbard)

| got my first idea of the under
ground silo in Nebraska about ten
years ago, where four we'll to do
farmers and dairymena had this class
Of silos. They were.considered sue
cess lin that Country and could not
see why they would not be a success
here in, Kansas where there Is a
great need for a means for saving
the feed crop.
In company with number of the
farmers Of the Wideawake neigh
borhood, visited the underground
silos at Hooker. Okla, and as a di-
rect result OF that visit, there are
four of these silos in WideQwake
neighborhood, and G. w. Light has
two on his splendid farm south of
town.
give you here a brief description
of digging and the apparatus used
to hoist the dirt. It proved very
satisfactory to us and might be
found useful to others in case they
should find use for such machine:
We took two old wagon axles, Sc
cured one on each end OF strong
pole about twelve feet long, put a
wagon hub on one end and wheel
on the other and then set the pole
upright about six feet from the edge
of the hole we were digging, securing
1t with four strong guy wires from
the wheel at the top of the pole,
while the hub at the other end was
placed in hole in the ground. We
then secured a crane to this upright,
of sufficient length to reach over the
hole and the bucket dropped from
the end of this crane into the hole
and was raised by a team working
directly back and on a straight line
with the crane. When the bucket
was raised from the hole, the man
on top of the ground easily swung
it to one side, pulled the trip that
holds the bottom of the bucket in
place and the load was dumped ready
to be hauled away by the team and
scraper, while the bucket went back
for another load. To successfully
work this contrivsnce, requires seven
men and two teams, and II every
thing Is strong and we'll made, 1t
will be successful. 1t takes four days
to dig a hole twelve feet wide and
twenty feet deep.
My silO Is thirteen feet in diameter
and about nineteen feet deep; 10
sacks, or 1000 pounds, Of cement
and one load of sand were required
to plaster the walls. The cement
was put right on the dirt, just as
you would plaster cistern or a
house and a man familiar with ce-
ment work can put 1t on In one day.
Thus you will see that the cost of the
new silo, including work, cement and
sand, was only $500. Its capacity
is about 40 tons.
1t was filed with brOomcOrn fOd-
der, milo maize and cane, and the
job was completed in less than day
and half. The feed was cut with
a header, two and three barges be-
ing used to haul it to the silo where
a medium sized cutter, driven by a
flve-horse gasoline engine. cut 1t up
and deposited 1t in the big hole for
safe keeping.
III lRC NallOhO oAAOog INV
binders and headers were both used
and the header was found to be
much the faster and cheaper. 1t was
also found that large cutter with
ample power, though more expensive
In the beginning, was cheaper in the
end. Over the top of the feed we
tramped in load of straw, threw on
some water, and when the silo was
opened for feeding we found only
thin layer spoiled over the top, the
straw having nodded and formed an
air tight seal over the feed.
Cattle soon form an appetite for
ensilage and eat it with great rel
ish and 40 we'll on a very small
amount. During the five weeks of
extreme winter weather just past. |
fed my twenty-six head OF cattle
practically all they have eaten from
my silO and have only fed of five
feet of ensilage. AS near as | can
figure it, this would be about ten tons
of ensilage. Had 1t been in the dry
state it would have made only about
four tons of feed and would have fed
only about two weeks. Thus 1t will
be seen that the silo gives at least
two and one-half times the feeding
value to feed, and the cattle got it
in the green and natural state. !
did not give 1t q fair test for milk
for fear | would run out before
spring, but | do know that am still
getting fair flow of milk from cows
that last year were dry early in the
fall
| believe that every farmer should
have a silo and also believe that a
sllo in the ground is the cheapest
the best In the long run. In doing
the work on the tour silOs mentioned,
we were able to change work and in
that way were out only a small
amount for labor and IL taken dur