Eastern Colorado times., 1913-02-21


thick around each silo. This serves
the twofold purpose of increasing the
capacity of the silos and railing to
prevent stock and people from falling
in. The silos were then plastered
with cement in the proportion of one
part cement to three parts sand, and
then given brush coat of pure ce-
ment, as soon as the plaster was set
sufficiently to stand brushing.
The silos we're made at the end of
the adobe COW barn. After the silos
were completed the COW barn was ex-
tended over them, thus putting them
under the same roof with the COW barn.
COST.
The cost OF the silo is as follows!-
II sacks cement for concrete
rings $3.50
81 sacks cement for plastering $40 so
Crane and bucket for hoisting
dirt SO 90.
Sheet iron box for hoisting
ensilage ss 90.
Total cost material 800.
Labor at 81 25 per man and 50 90
for man and team Sl37 20.
Total cost STA 20
The cost of extending the COW barn
including labor, was s55 so. The com
bined capacity of the two silos is es
timated at eighty tons.
FILLING.
The silos were filled the first week in
Sept The price of the cutter used is
$50 90. hired six horse gas engine
to. furnish the power.
Fifteen acres of corn and about three
acres each of kafr and milo were
used. The cost of filling was as fol-
lows:
Labor s4s 90
Rent on engine and man to
run it s21 90
Gasoline s5 90
Oil and incidentals 50 90
Total s76 90
RESULTS.
began feeding thirteen h ad of
COWS from the smaller silo on Oct. End.
| fed about forty pounds per COW per
day. The smaller silo was emptied Feb.
4 til. The ensilage kept perfectly. The
COWS eat it with d relish.
There is no waste whatever, except
a few inches on top, which of course
rots.
My cows were practically dry in the
fall so I had little chance to see the
value of the feed as milk producer
until the first of the year, when had
several fresh COWS.
By comparing the records of six
that were in about the same stage of
lactation in Jan. 1912 as in Jan. 1913,
and with practically the. same case,
except that this year substituted en-
silage for part of the fodder. l find
that I got little more than ona third
more milk when the ensilage was used.
l am convinced beyond the possi-
bility of a doubt that the underground
silo is practical for Eastern Colo. 1t
saves feed in the best possible way, it
avoids the waste by blowing away and
weathering. The stock consume the
entire crop, whereas in the old way,
all of the coarse stocks are uneaten:
and better results are obtained than
by feeding dry feed alone. -
Another advantage, is, that you can
clean your fields at once so that you
may work your ground in the fall if
you wish to do so.
1t should be remembered that in fig
uring on a silo, the diameter should
be suc!l that at least two inches of en-
silage may be fed off each day. If
less than this amount is fed, there is
danger of the ensilages spelling. For
a herd of twelve COWS, q silo ten feet
in diameter is as large as should be
used. The depth OF the silo should be
ganged in proportion to the number of
days you wish to feed,
CAUTION
Cases have been known where gas
has accumulated in the bottom of pit
silos, making it dangerous to enter
them. This can be prevented by use
of q ventilator, made OF stove pipe or
we'll casing, hung from the roof and
1oweyafl ne tho ensi1aOa Ia ran,rvx,x1si