The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-05-30
READS A PAPER ON
S|L0s BEFORE EAST
TENNESSEE FARMERS
). N. MERoNEY, OF DARKs MILL.
TREATS UPON THIS PRAcrI.
-, --An~~s1-- =Aa.n--s
CAL SUBJECT.
EXPLAINS WHAT A SILO IS

EXPLAINS What A SILO L
Treats Upon How to Build, What |,
the Best Design and How to Ge
the Best Results From This Add
ton.
AT the meeting of the East Ten
nessee Farmers Institute at Knox
vile last week, ]. N. Meroney, OF
Darks Mills, lead paper on silos
with the title, "A Silo on Every
Farm Mr.. Meroney discussed the
subject in every detail and showed
how these silcs could be established
and the advantages to be derived
from them after once established.
| Mr.. Meroncy has made a study OF
this farm necessity and his paper was
an interesting and practical one. Be.
low it appears in full:
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentle.
men:
Inis motto is not an impossible
one, and it would certainly add much
to the profits on the farm. No agri.
cultural country can long prosper and
sustain soil fertility that does not
feed live stock on the farm, and it is
by the use OF the silo that live stock
can be fed most economically.
But what is silo? 1t is any kind
of an alright walled structure in
which to store away the green, sue.
culent food of summer to preserve
and feed it out in almost the same
condition in winter. Silos are built
OF different material-stone, brick,
concrete and woodland they are
built of various shapes-square, oh.
long, octagoE and round.
The round silo is the most econcm.
ical, will house more food in the
space occupied than any other shape
and preserve ii with less loss A
silo should be built at least twice as
high as its diameter to give best re-
suits. The concrete silo, when llop.
erly built, is the most permanent, but
the cost of building makes it out of
reach of many small farmers, and
they are the Lnes that most need the
silo, because they must study econo.
my. Many of them, like myself,
needs to make every dollar count full
one hundred cents. To this class of
farmers l bring message of ecopo.
my in showing them a plan to build
round wooden stave silo, at a cost
within the reach financially of any
small farmer, so that he can feed his
stock as chearly and as satisfactory
ly as his rich neighbor. And any
farmer that IS handy in the use OF
tools can build it himself without
costly hired help-this plan is no
longer an experiment, but is demon.
strated and satisfactory plan; tuild
in size to suit the amount of stock
you have to feed, a fifty ton silo will
feed twenty head OF beef cattle or
dairy cows for five months and is a |
suitable size for many small farmers,
and more of the same size can be
added as stock increases.
First, select a place near the tarn
where the rock is not too ne.r the
surface and where the water !, IA not |
rise in it aId dig a round cistern.
twelve feet III diameter and eight |
feet deep; lay aroud this a border of
brick two or three feet high as |
foundation for the wooden part This
brick border should be laid in ce.
ment mortar and below this plaster
down the clay wall about two feet to
keep out surface water and rats The
clay wall below that is good enough,
will keep silage well, be good for
years and is tno cheapest part of the
silo. Buy for the wooden tub, good
straight, wei. seasoned 2x4 pine stud.
ding, and prepare hoops of SIS round
ron, for a s.lo twelve feet in diane.
Ter these hoops should each be made
of three sections of round iron 1917
.eet long, with threads and nuts ft.
ed in both ends and connect by pass
ng through iron Tugs so as to draw
against each ether when frightened /,
With a wrench. When the cistern {
'art is ready set up four good stout 5
'osts at the corners where you will d
want to build the roof. These posts \
an be used as scaffold while build Nv
ng and support the roof after the g
lilo is built. Set up the first stave r
nd make it plumb, and fasten to o
caffold at top and set back about
wo inches from the inside of the g
lex foundation: then set up next IF
taVe as close to the first as possible s
0nfinn N Lxy