Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-04-15
SOME SILO FACTS.

OShShN VI Vic PuOAlS, III ACplJ W oil
article by Williams Brothers, headed,
"CONCERNING SILOS," and which
you printed in your paper a short time
ago.
First | wish to say that l am a
stave silo salesman. Not because
have not had the opportunity to sell
silos built of other materials, but
because after making a thorough
study of the requirements of silos, I
could not conscientiously go to the
farmer and endeavor to interest him
in erecting a silo of any other
material excepting wood, and will
here give some of my reasons:
The one greatest requirement of a
silo is that it's walls must be as near
non-conductor of heat and cold as
possible. Government statistics,
which you can get without any charge
by writing to the U. S. Department
of Agriculture, Washington, d. c.. !,
will show you that concrete is nine
teen times a better conductor of
heat and cold than wood, or in con-
crete silo having six inch wall +,
the heat is conducted away from the
feed about six times as rapidly as in
the silo built of two inch slaves.
Now follows the reason why we must
take into consideration the kind of
material that we are going to build
our silo out of. The making of
silage is process of fermentation or
the development of acid-forming
bacteria. This fermentation process
begins at once after filling the silo
and continues for period of six to
eight weeks thereafter, and the out
side temperatures being below normal
during this entire period, in a cement
silo, therefore, the conduction of
heat is so rapid that the temperature
of the feed next to the wall is lower
ed sufficiently to check the normal
development of the most important
acid-forming bacteria (the Tactic and
acetic, which require a temperature
of not less than 70 degrees F and
preferably 85 degrees). There are
acids that may appear to preserve
the feed, that will develop at a
temperature below normal, such as
the propionic, butric, and some of
the strong, aromatic acids, but these
acids will impart an unpleasant flavor
and odor to the feed. Chemical
analysis of feed taken from next to
the walls of cement silos have shown
loss of food nutrients of from 20
per cent to 80 per cent for depth of
six inches and more.
The Storrs Agricultural Experiment
Station, Storrs Conn.,, have issued
Bulletin (No. 7O-Silage Fermenta-
tion) that should be read and studied
by every farmer that intends building
a silo. This Bulletin is free for the
asking. will here quote what they
say with reference to the above:
THE necessary factors for the
making of good silage are proper
temperature, lack of air, symbiosis.
Lack of air is obtained by close pack
ing and pressure of the silage and air
tight walls. All of these factors are
automatic and are produced to perfec-
ton in properly constructed wooden
stave silo.
This experiment station states
further that temperature is distinct
governing factor in the making of
silage and that their experiments,
which covered a period of five years,
explains why silage does not keep as
we'll in cement and other silos con-
of cold materials conductors
of heat and cold). They say, "The
cement conducts away the heat general
ed in silo and the acid fermentation
is checked unless the temperature of
the air at SLIDING time is much
warmer than normal. The appearance
of silage is not a complete guide as to
its quality. It may appear to keep
perfectly along the edges of cement
silo but the acid and chemical tests
are necessary to prove that it is
normal silage. The odor of silage is
the next best test" "t
The Wisconsin Experiment Station
has never issued a bulletin on the
making of silage or silage fermenta-
ton, however, Prof. Hoffman,,
former bacteriologist of the above
station says:
"The reasons for the better keep
ing qualities of silage when in con-
tact with wooden surface, in COM
parison of that of cement, is due to
the fact that in the wooden silo there
are no neutralizing agencies, while in
the cement silo the acids present in
the silage next to the wall are
partially neutralized. The neutraliza-
ton of these acids allow certain so
called anerohic bacteria to deVelOp.