The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-07-19
COOPERATIVE LABOR ENABLES FARMERS IN
LIBERAL DISTRICT TO BUILD PIT SILOS AT
CASH OUTLAY or SIS OR LESS
Dry Landers Combine Forces Save Fodder Crops and
Keep Flow of Cash for Milk Steadily Coming
By Abin T. Steinsi

NhOoAAOts
ut was hard work." he said, "but
even at that l always finished my
chores before breakfast"
This season he will follow the plan
OF his neighbors and run it up with
block and tackle. He did not fin
ish his silO last season until just in
the nick Of time to get the fodder
out OF the field before it was past the
stage for SLIDING. consequently he
was obliged to content himself with
makeshift. In spite of these dis
advantages he says he would not
have gotten along without the sllo,
ut doesn't cost any more to cut
the feed and fill silo than 1t does
to bring up the fodder out of the field
and store 1t in the barn." he says,
and then, when It's in the silo it
can't blow away or get full of grit
and sand as it does when in the
shock. My silage cost me only
about SIS to cut and fill. The win
ter's experience convinced me that |
cannot afford to be without a silo
and | will rebuild along better lines
this Summer. I'm satisfied with the
pit Nand don't care Cor high silo. F"
The pit silo of A. G. Morrell, an
other of the cooperative group, is a
model of its kind The dimensions
are: depth, 20 feet; inside diameter
IA feet; capacity, 81 tons. Cost in
cash, exclusive of cooperative labor,
$25.
After the pit was dug by the
farmers In the group the walls were
given three coats of cement plaster.
AT the surface a collar or sill Of
two rows of cement block was built,
this being 16 inches high from the
ground. The floor of the pit was not
plastered The silage is raised by
feed carrier that holds about 100
pounds. It is brought up by pulley
and hauled on a hay track to the
hangers. There is no roof over the
silo or the hangers, but Mr.. Morrell
expects to construct one this summer
He had no spoilage to speak of and
his IL milk cows averaged $S5 a
month through the winter In addi-
ton he fed beef stuff, horses and
sheep, in all about 100 head for three
months. Kaflr fodder was used for
roughage.
81 would have had to sell off lot
Of my stock If hadn't had the silo
this winter" was his testimonial to
the utility of the pit. He filled prln-
cipally with milo and this furnished
such succulent silage that he will use
1t exclusively during the coming win
ter. Last seasons drOuth cut down
the yield even OF milo, and 1t took
35 acres to fill the sllo. Fifteen OF
| 20 acres will do 1t ordinarily, accord
ing to Mr.. MorrelPs reckoning. The
dwarf variety is grown in Southwest
Kansas, and while milo does not
yield as heavily In fodder as Kafir
It is a surer crop in this locality.
The four farmers who originally
went into the cooperative silo build
ing plan, bought a cutter that cost
them $54, but this was found too
small and this summer they intend
to invest jointly in a 500 machine.
They will assist each other in cutting
and filing. They use a five horse
power gasoline engine to run the
cutter.
Messrs. Richardson and Bunting
have successful pit silos built about
| like that of Mr.. Morrells, and both
report good results during their first
season. Howard McNabney, the fifth
man to join the combination, has just
finished his silo and 1t will be filled
for the first time during the coming
fall.
Another silo enthusiast in the
Liberal district is G.. w. Light. He
has two pit silos, with plastered walls
and a substantial collar of concrete
at the top Each is II feet in depth
and 16 feet in diameter He win
tered % head of cattle and his work
horses on a combination of Katir and
milo and the stock did we'll He says:
From inquiry | came to the con-
clusion that the pit silo was the thing
for Western Kansas wherever water
is not reached for rs feet or deep
err. AS for location, | would prefer
a gyp or hard dirt formation, so that
the cement could be plastered on the
J dirt say an inch thick, or more If de-
| sired. The walls should be abso-
lutely smooth and water proof on the
inside. Care should be taken to seal
the silage we'll and to make the pit
alright. A silo built half in the
ground and half above ground, say
10 to 16 feet in diameter and 30 to
So feet high, according to the amount
of stock to be fed, is an ideal style
of construction for this region. Such
silo Is not exposed to the effects
of the wind and it does not shrink
or swell like a stave silO The pit
is the poor mans silo for the plains.
He can build 1t himself and feed
economically from 1t such crops as
are always sure in this region"