Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1912-06-15
Essential Points in sIlo Construction

Essential Points in SiIo Construction
With the advance of dairying na-
turally comes the silo. Dairymen
are well agreed that the dairy COW
and the silo are ~inseparabIe. in sum-
mer nature provides proper feed for
our domestic animals and the nearer
summer conditions can be kept throug
out the year the greater will be the
milkman's success. For this reason
where cattle or sheep are wintered
silage Is almost indispensable. II Is
a green feed preserved in nearly its
natural condition for winter feeding.
In a way silage may be called a
canned feed and is undoubtedly as
superior to dry feed as food for cat
tie as canned fruit Is to dried fruit
as food for man.
While fairly old in many states
the silo is comparatively new in Id
aho. Naturally a few may be built
hat are not properly constructed,
hence good results are not obtained.
OF all farm buildings the silo Is the
n that needs the most careful con-
struction as the green corn will not
keep in a poorly constructed silo.
Before building the silo it Is we'll to
consider the different forms and style
OF each as well as the cost. What
ever type of silo the farmer chooses
to build, six things must be strictly
observed. l.. The silo must be air
tight where the air has access the 81
lage will mold or decay being in this
respect like canned fruit.
2. The inside of the silo should be
smooth SO that the sllage will settle
evenly. Rough projections on the in
ner wall will prevent this even set
Ting thus causing dead air spaces
which will cause the surrounding 81
age to spoil.
3. The walls Of the silo should be
strong because the green feed Is very
heavy and packs down solidly. This
creates a pressure that will burst
the walls of a poorly constructed silo.
4. The silo should rest upon a sol
i'd foundation otherwise the pressure
and the weight at the bottom will
cause the silo to settle out of shape.
5. The silo should not be too
large. Thesize should be always de-
termined by the number of cattle
or sheep to be fed. As silage is a
moist feed that soon decays when ex-
posed to the air, it must be taken off
systematically from the top. AT least
two inches should be removed daily,
hence the silo should not be built
out of proportion to the number Of an
imals to be fed.
8. The durability of the silo should
be well considered before building.
Many of the cheapest silos have prov
en- to be the most expensive owing
to the fact that they have maintain.
ed their efficiency for a few years
only. In silos as well as other build
ings it will be found most economical
to build good ones
AS to materials used these consist
usually of wood, tile, brick, stone, &C.
ment blocks or solid cncrete. Con-
sidering the durability and the cost
the reinforced concrete silo is to be
recommended.
Anyone intending to build a silo
should carefully consider all these
points. 1t is not economical to build
one for less than eight r ten cows.
Those expecting to build should cor
respond with the College of Agri-
culture to secure plans, bills Of the
materials required and any other in
formation they may desire.
e. F. RINEHART,
Idaho Experiment Station.
Field Dairyman.