The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-20

that the tall, slim Sl1O VIII Hoiu pi"S
tically as much silage per square 100.
OF wall surface as the short, broad
one. On account of this greater ca
pacity of tall silos, it is seldom ad-
yisable to build one less than SO feet
in height. Where built of masonry,
or where we'll anchored and careIuiiy
looked after, they may economically
be built higher, TO give the needeo
capacity without getting n sllo I'M
duly large in diameter.
1t is a great mistake to make a sllo
with thin walls because the silage,
particularly in the Northern States,
will freeze badly and not only spalt
it's quality but make it difficult TO
handle. Of course the advocates OF
thin-walled cement silOs assert tnat
it will freeze no more h the sllaSe
in a stave silo. which probably is true;
but frozen silage, from whatever
source, is not desirable.
Silage at the Illinois station has
been used for the past 20 years, and
they have learned how to build silos
that will stand the test Of time and
preserve the silage. Experts at this
station say that the square sllo has
not prove satisfactory because 1t is
practically impossible to build this
form so that the side walls will not
spring out n allow the air to get N
and rot the contents. In fact, very
few square SilOs are nOw constructed:
the round silo being more substantial
and more desirable in every way.
The deeper the silo, the greater
the pressure and therefore the more
compact will be the contents. Natur-
ally this increases h amount that
can be stored per cubic foot.
A silo 20 feet in diameter and 40
fet deep will hold twice as much as
80 feet deep, and to get sufficient
feet deep. No silo should be less than
depth for one over - feet in diane
ter, it should be placed about five
feet in the ground.
The construction of doors in the
Silo is of the greatest Importance. A
| good form of construction is to set
tWO-by-four pieces. spiked together
on each side of the line Of doorway.
They shoul be placed SO that the
edge of the two-by-fours face the
doorway, leaving the fiat side for the
doors to rest against in resisting the
pressure from the siIage. In this way
no crack is left through the double
two-by-fours where the plaster and
DOR join.
In one type Of silo the side where
the openings are left for the doors
is reinforced with an extra thickness
tllS OOItOIh " Xxx UP VIII oIIC-
half inch lumber or the same with
which the silo is lined.
The doorways are left in the middle
Of this extra sheathing and the spaces
between them are thus covered with
two thicknesSeS and no broken joints
for IA feet The ends Of the boards
broke joints on three studs, and these
irregular ends were filed out with
short pieces so that the edge of the
/ r. -o- t.
straight line.
AS h me seating leaves a jos
of a half inch, this can be overcome
by butting against the end the thicl
edge Of common shingles, which, o
course, run down to a featheredge
leaving a very smooth surface OIL
which to nail the lath.
In order to produce good silag
something more than good construc
ton of the silO is necessary. If tn
proper material is not used, if it j
not prepared as it should be, or i
it is put into the silo too green o
too dry, the results will be unsatis
factory.
If corn is allowed to mature befor
being put into the silage, sufficien
water must be added to take the plac
of the moisture which has dried ou
of the corn since the time it was jus
III SAC lSHC COIlulIlOH Ill Tie uclu.
If corn is put into the silage whe
: too green it will rust or produce spot
t Of mold n have an unpleasant SINE
4 and will not be palatable to the an
j mails. Very often corn is put up be
8 fore it is properly matured. It require
. nice judgment to determine just whe
it is ripe, but it is always better t
e be sure that the corn is ripe enoug
rather than take chances the othe
way.
Professor King. of the Missouri ST.
ton, says corn will generally make tt
best silage when cut as near full M
turity as possible. and yet when tt
8 tissues are filled with sap.
Where corn is put into the silo
a very Succulent state, it is filed wit
a a large per cent of compounds while
N are easily decomposed and besid
e there has not yet been develOpt
= enough Of the woody tissues in II
y plant to enable the j1iceS To he r