The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1914-05-21

examined the floor Of the pit, thinking
that the juices OF the cane had been
absorbed by the ground, but found
they had not penetrated more than
two inches. | concluded to soak the
loor OF the silo we'll this year before
putting In any silage. also will soak
the walls. The only reason why some
farmers near here are slow in building
pit silos is because OF the annual
scarcity Of labcr about silo filling time
IL is much easier 10 OH a pit silo than
the over-ground kind, though. am
well satisfied with mine. / have no
roof on it and keep it covered with
straw during fall till feeding time"
Mr. Morell says his silage has led
from two 10 three times as much stock
as the dry feed would have done. He
expects to dig another pit silo when
his work in the fields will permit him.
Builds Four-Sided Pit silo.
The most unusual pit silo in the Lib
beral district is one built by ]. W
n
most extensive dairyman ia the Lib
eral district. II is 80 feet long, 10 feet
wide and III feet deep. 1t holds abort
100 tons and has given complete salts
faction, Il has been filled twice and
the only change that Mr. Norris would
make in il would be to dig deeper 10
a. to get additional pressure for the
silage. 1t is the height which packs
the contents OF silo and keeps out
the air. Mr.. Norris filled his silo with
kailir of fifteen acres and milo of ten
acres lie put calves into the pit to
tramp down the silage. He fed SO
milk cows about 20 pounds of kafiir
and milo silage day each and one
pound Of oil cake and they returned
from ~ to $S day in milk checks
Their condition constantly improved
and when the writer visited his ranch
10 milk cows were yielding an income
of 80 day They are of mixed breeds,
Shorthorns, Durhams aud Holsteins.
on % acres OF kafiir and milo last win
ter he took enough silage to winter 100
head Of stock. Cane which he put in
the pit grew TO a height OF 9 feet. Mr..
Norris uses Freeman power cutter
and chops the silage into pieces
fourth to half-inch in length. lie
intends to add feet to the top OF the
silo this summer and increase the
capacity. lie will use railroad ties as
an outer base, against which he will
place the cement. lie says he could
build his pit silo for about $50 with his
increased knowledge. The highest
item OF expense was the use OF teams
and scrapers, which cost fully $50.
His Cash Outlay Only $40.
He dug the pit when work was slack
on the farm and he coated the walls
with two coats OF cement to a thick
ness OF about of an inch The walls
were not heavy enough and in places
the cement cracked off during periods
Of alternate thawing and freezing, but
he will remedy this this summer when
he will apply another coat of cement
He will build 3-foot curb around the
top to keep the wall from crumbling
at the edge lie filled the silo with
broomcorn and milo in 1911 and il kept
in fine condition, and he fed 1t to 20
head OF cattle and horses This year
he will cut milo off 30 acres and kaflir
oil about 10 acres for sllage and feed
steers besides work stock, Last fall
he could scarcely get enough help to
fill the silo and some OF the siage
spoiled He lays none of the blame on
the silo, however, saying that eompar
ison showed that his pit sllo kept siage
as well as the most expensive stave or
steel silo.
II. r. Richardson, OF near Liberal,
has a pit silo Is feet deep and 10 feet
In diameterr lie filled il with milo
ard kailir and little broomcorn and
fed II to fifteen head Of cattle. His
neighbors helped to build the silo.
which cost him less than S25. lie in
tehus TO Dulld another TINS summer,
w II McNabrey has a pit silo "a
feet deep and IS feet in diameter. His
only expense was the cost nf $40 worth
Of cement, as no and his neighbors dug
the pit and helped with the plasterng |
I'VE just traded work." is the way Mr.
McNabney puts il, He fed milo and
kaiilr and broomcorn silage to 40 head
of cattle and ten horses, The silage
kept we'll and he is well satisfied with
his experience. lie intends to build
two more silos and his neighbors will
again help in the work. He says that
the silo doubled the feeding value of
hlscrops, Steers which Mr.. McNabney
fed silage bEought $40 a head and he