Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-01-11
Describe Experiences
With Cooperative Si|0S
Lea| Farmers Are Enihus|as-
tic Over Success Of
System

Dairy Commissioner r. F.. Flint has
just received a letter from Howard
Wilson of Leal in Barnes county in
which Mr.. Wilson gives the expert
ence Of himself and four neighbors,
Anton Crist, Leal; Lewis Wolf, VIM
bledon; John Kuhlman, Jr., Leal; and
John Crist of Wimbledon in co-opera-
tive building of silos.
The gentlemen bought their mater
ial all at the same time and there was
quite a saving in the amount, n item
alone being 40 cents saved on each
barrel Of cement. There was a pro-
ortionate saving in the lumber, nails
wire and other materials that enter
into the construction Of a concrete
silo. Two sets of forms we're used
and two silos built at n time, put
ting up one form on each silo every
day and in this manner it required
just eleven days to complete the con-
crete work on two sil0s, using five
men for the work.
The cost Of the silos ran from
$227.O4 to s255.57, the difference in
the cost being accounted for by there
being more delay in some than 9TH
ers, and thus making it necessary to
use the men a lenger time.
Another way in which these five
gentlemen have co-operated is in the
purchase and use of a cutting ma
chine, all Of them using the same ma
chine and assisting each other in
the work of filling their silos.
The silos built on this plan are 81
feet high above the foundation and
are built on top of the gound, they
are IA feet in diameter and have a
capacity Of nearly one hundred tons.
They were built during the early part
of July and have been used for the
past two months in feeding the cat
tie. -" ''
In speaking Of the advantage of sill.
age as a feed, Mr.. Wilson wrote: 81
have been feeding silage for about two
months and find it a very satisfac-
tory way Of feeding corn, as there
is no waste and the results are much
better in that the cows produce more
milk. The silo Is in good condition,
has no cracks in it and is not effected
by the cold weather in any way. The
silage is in excellent condition, also.
l feed millot hays With the ensilage
and this gives very satisfactory re-
Suits"
Regarding his experience with the
silo, Anton Crist, who is m of the
boosters for the silo game in his part
of the state, says: Il like my silo
very much. 1t gives me feed corn
with absolutely no waste to it and l
have it all where l can get at it re-
CARELESS Of the weather conditions.
1t costs me about 70 cents a ton while
fodder corn costs 81 a ton, with about
one half waste. l have no hay to
feed with the ensilage so have to feed
fodder corn. This maks a food con-
sisting of too much corn; especially
for the milch cows. l would advise
feeding hay of some kind; the best, OF
course, is alfalfa, and the next, I be.
lieye, is millot hay. l have no exact
data as to any direct increase from
my cows by feeding ensilage, but ac-
cording to my daily weights as COM
pared with past years, l do find an
increase in the milk flow"
The men who have built these silos
are farmers who have made their
money in North Dakota and who are
watching the trend Of events and rea-
lie that in the dairy industry lies the
future success Of the state. They
have gone into the matter only after
mature consideration, have made a
study of conditions and secured the
assistance of the dairy department in
their work. They are five Of more
than 20, who have worked under the
direction Of the department during
the past year.
The dairy department is in co.opera
ton in the building of silos does not
stop at giving advise and sending out
printed matter but gets right on the
ground with the farmers and work
with them. In the case of the silos
mentioned above there were two men
from the department who were there
when the forms yer made and as
sisted in making the first tiers sc
that there might be no mistake In the
work.
That there is a great interest in the
work in North Dakota is manifested
by the fact that there are now many
calls for the assistance of the depart
ment during the coming building sea-
on.