Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-03-19
SNOW TELLS HOW
TO BUILD PIT S|L0
LOCAL FARMER WRITES AR.
TICLE FOR BENEFIT OF
OTHERS IN COUNTY,

The construction of silos and the
growing and use of ensilage is be-
coming more common in Thurston
county every year, and the constant
agitation in favor of silos has re-
suited liz at least interesting prac-
tically every farmer in the subject.
What local farmer has done
what success he has had-what he
thinks about the silo-are of course
the things other local farmers want
to know, rather than what some
farmer somewhere else has done.
for they know the local man has
had to deal with practically the
same situation as will confront
them. Consequently the following
letter from l.. j. Snow, prominent
Thurston county farmer, telling
how he built two pit silos, how much
they cost him and what he thinks of
them, should be particularly inter
esting:
Editor The Washington Standard:
l wish to place before the patrons
of your paper, especially the farmers
that are interested in dairying, my
experience with pit silo, both in
building and feeding.
AS some of the farmers know,
built two pit silos during last sum
mer, one seven feet in diameter and
Is feet deep, the other nine feet in
diameter and about the same depth.
/ never had any experience at such
work and, in fact, this was my first
attempt at digging or mixing cement
and sand.
How Pit Was Dug.
In the first place, l must state
that my ground is ideal for the
building of such silo, all but three
feet being clay, the balance sand.
After striking two circles on the
ground, one seven and the other
seven feet six inches. excavated be-
tween these two circles to depth OF
two feet, leaving the center stand. l
then filled in with a mixture Of three
parts sand and one part cement and
let it stand 48 hours, thus making
the collar for the silo. then dug
out the dirt in the center to depth
of four feet below the circle or col
lar. / then plastered on to the dirt
wall. with a common mason's trowel,
cement mixed with two parts sand
and one part cement, as thin as ]
could easily handle, my sand being
the fine washed sand from Mr.. Wes-
toms.
After cementing this wall dug
down again, to depth Of about four
feet more. then plastered, thus saw
ing the job of building staging. When
dug to the proper depth. put in q
floor, two parts sand and one part
cement, about three inches thick
each day I poured water on the walls
to keep them from cracking, for
about a week. l hoisted the dirt
with my team. thus saving lots Of
hard work.
The walls must be kept perpendic-
ular so the silage will settle evenly,
and to do this / used spirit level in
digging and in putting on the cement.
BY SO doing my walls are quite true.
Three-fourrhs of an inch thick is
plenty for your walls. After my silo
was cemented and dried, took water
and cement and mixed them to q
thickness Of thin cream. took q
whitewash. brush and went all over
the wells and floor to make them air
tight.
Now we are ready to fill the silo.
/ use No. 9 Smalley ensilage cutter
and a two-horse Fairbanks-Morse
gasoline engine. With four men, one
team and two wagons can put in Is
tons or more per day.
See the money you have saved or
machinery. II you only intend to
keep 10 cows. this is good outfit
for a pit silo. The cost of 'distillate
and oil for cutting two acres of corn
was IS cents.
Considers Silage Successful.
In conclusion, will say my silage
was a success. for did not lose one
pound Of corn and only about 800
pounds of vetch and oats, and I
would not have lost any vetch and
oats if I had used more water.
have not fed my cows grain since