The Dickinson press., 1914-07-11

Che ground perhaps permeated with
water, it would be difficult to build
one of these, but ordinarily it is
safe and easy proposition.
E. F. Waite Of Miller, S. D., presi-
dent of the Hand County State bank
of Miller, is the promulgator Of the
pit silo idea. A year ago he was
quoted in the papers about it and re-
ceived SO many inquiries from the
farmers all over the northwest that
he could not answer them all.
There are many points of advant-
age in the pit over the above ground
STYLE" said Mr.. Waite to a Fargo
man the other day. "They cannot
blow down, dry out, freeze, are cas-
Ter filled, require no expensive blow
er as is the case with the above
ground kind and have other good fea-
lures.
"My brother, w. w. Waite, who is
president of the Hughes County bank
of Blunt, S. D., is operating a couple
of large stock farms and is using the
pit silo and is expecting to put in an
other this year. J. H. Bevington of
Rec Heights, S. D., a prominent
breeder Of blooded Polled Hereford
cattle, put in one last fall and will
add another this season. Mr.. Bev-
ington really started the pit silo idea
here in the first place and would give
some good testimony of. his expert.
ence."
To show how these pit silos work
and are constructed and their advant-
ages, the experiences Of several men
are given. Below is testimonial
from Fred A. Strobel of Jefferson, S.
D., who tells of his pit silo:
"Will say that I have pit silo 267z
feet deep and 18 feet in diameter,
which cost me $47.5O to build. I
have the sand and did part of the
work. I think, as near as can fig
ure, it holds about 115 tons of very
good feed and it keeps as fine as
sauer kraut in a barrel.
every thing likes it-pigs, sheep,
cattle and also horses, and all do well
on it. Cotton seed meal and silage
will make fat cattle the same as corn.
There is no trouble in getting it out.
Just build on posts a track, the same
as the hay track in barn and run
it out in the yard to feed rack or
bunk, and use common hay carrier
with wood or galvanized box 31a or
8 feet wide, 8 feet high and feet
long, with drop bottom, for any size
to suit the feeding you have to do,
and pull it up with horse and team,
the same as putting hay in barn.
"First start in with a tape line and
Q stake in center of place you wish
to build silo and run out nine feet
with the tape, or such distance as is
half the diameter of the silo, and
mark another circle outside the first.
Dig trench a foot wide and 8 feet
deep inside the two circles. Fill this
in with concrete, withstone, old iron,
wire or most anything, with sand and
cement, which gives a good solid rim
around the silo to start with. Then
excavate to the depth desired, but
stop when six or seven feet down
and cement the sides all around with
two coats of cement on the dirt wall,
making the coats as heavy as can be:
made to stick, putting finishing
coat on after each second coat. BY
cementing each six or seven feet as
you go down, you can avoid having to
use any scaholding."
However, where ground is solid
some might prefer to make complete
excavation first. But this would re-
quire scaffolding in order to do the
cementing. The rim should be ce-
mented few feet above the ground
to avoid danger Of animals falling in
should top be accidently left open.
George w. Moon, well known
farmer in Yankton county, S. D.,
says, in relating his experience with
pit silos:
recent issue Of your journalshrdlunu
"To Farmer and Breeder: In re-
cent issue Of your journal you asked
for information from anyone who had
had experience with underground or
pit silos. I have pit silo 1O.5 feet in
diameter and 20 feet deep. It is sat-
isfactory in every respect. The ensil-
freezes. In building my silo I hired
nearly all the work done and the en-
tire cost. including a two.inch plank
flat roof and a small building to con-
meet the pit with the barn, amounted
the dirt wall and around the top I
have a brick wall three feet deep to
provide frost protection.
"The cost Of filling such a silo is
small. I use a three horsepower gas
engine and No. II fed cutter. The
latter sets on the plank roof. From
the cutter I have chute running in
to the pit. Three men can easily fill
this pit silo in two days. To get the
feed out, I use well wheel and two
galvanized iron bushel baskets. A
boy fills the baskets down in the pit
while another draws them out. Thus
we can feed our cattle very quickly.
""Pit silos can be built wherever one
can dig a hole deep enough without
being troubled with water. I con-
slider ensilage a great feed. One month
my neighbors. fed silage, alfalfa hay
and corn to some steers he was fat
tening on the market and they gained
1870 pounds apiece in thirty days, or
an average Of 4:33 pounds per day"
NJ. L. Wilson says: Silage is made
from corn in the same manner as
kraut is made from cabbage. The
best silage is made from corn which
ia in hard dnI1orI1 cfo 90 r. <is rim