The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-07-19

Liberal district, Southwest Kansas, Ii
the latest development In that live
agricultural community. Half doz-
en- farmers there have combined theil
labor in digging pits; one of their
number, plasterer, with one help
er, has done the cementing Of the
dirt walls and all have contributed
TO the buying of cutter, BY this
means the individuals concerned
were enabled to carry their live
stock through the winter of 1911-12
which was the most severe expert
enced on the plains in over 80 years
and, in addition, they were able to
turn milk and cream into cash when
some of their neighbors we're obliged
to pay high prices for oil cake and
others were forced to sell some OF
their stock for lack of feed.
Those who took part in the coop
erative plan were A. G. Morrell, e,
r. Richardson, l.. l.. Bunting, w. F.
Hubbard and Howard MeNabney
This is just the beginning of a gen
eral movement for silos in the neigh
borhood of Liberal.
The pioneer in silo building in
Seward county was John Boles, pres
ldent of the Farmers Institute, whose
success in this line induced the 9th
ers to follow suit. Mr.. Boles has a
stave silo and he offers testimony
to its usefulness In these words
"If hadn't had a silo would
have had to pay out $500 or 81 900
for oil cake to carry my stock
through the past winter"
The Boles silo, which was put up
in 1910, holds 1870 tons, measuring
16x3O feet 1t cost 1915 and the
owner has saved much more than
that in feeding operations every sea-
son since. He filled with milo last
season and is exceedingly well
pleased with that crop as silage
plant cream check last year averaged
about 500 a month and there was
no diminutiOn of milk flow during
the winter months. Not only his
dairy stock, but also the beef cattle
and work horses, got silage last win
ter, 225 head getting feeding a
day. He has had no trouble with
his silo and he declares that, If cared
for and kept in condition, stave silos
will withstand the effect OF the winds
in Southwest Kansas.
He will fill with milo this fall
as that is a sure crop, and when put
in at the proper time-when The
| grain is just MISUNDERSTANDING
the proper combination for good sill
age, either in beef or milk produc
| ton.
One of the pit silo builders ha(
good success in feeding broom corr
silage and he is this season putting
one 10 acres of milo and 10 of broom
corn especially for filling his silo
He is William F. Hubbard. He says:
IL filled my silo with broom corn
milo and some cane-oyer half II
broom corn. used the stalks after
the brush was cut and the cattle
liked it so we'll that I'm going tt
use 1t again this year in combination
with milo"
More broom corn is produced II
the Liberal district than in any 9th
err section of the United States, ant
the use of the stalks for silage, II
combination with some grain bearing
plantlike milo, is a feature of form
economy of far reaching Importance
Hubbard's silo Is 10 feet deeI
and 13 feet in diameter and holds
approximately 40 tons. He was out
Just $3.50 cash in its construction
the balance amounting to something
like $40. being in cooperative labor
He will be obliged to rebuild his silC
this summer because he failed tt
properly protect 1t with roof, bu
at that it paid for itself during thu
past winter He fed 26 head of cat
| tie for two months, 10 head beint
milk cows. When the cows wen
back on oil cake and bran, after thu
silage ran out, the milk flow did mo-
increase. showing that the broom
corn and milo silage contained plent!
of milk producing qualities.
The mistake Hubbard made was II
falling to put a collar on his silo
He merely dug a circular hole ant
gave the dirt a coat of cement plas
ter. As there was no roof over th'
pit and no sill or collar at the toI
to protect the plaster the spring rain
washed it off. However, while thu
pit contained silage 1t served lit
purpose we'll, showing no loss from
spelling. The remaining plaste
will be scraped off. the pit will b.
somewhat enlarged and it will b.
topped by a concrete sill and TIVE
coats of plaster will be given thu
wall all the way down. With a roo
over this sufficient to prevent thu
snow from coming in during thu
winter Hubbard will have a first
class pit silo.
He brought his silage up by hand
going down into the pit on a ladde