The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1916-07-06
.SILO IMPORTANT PIECE
OF FARM EQUIPNEAT
BY BURTON H. PECK.

money-maker and therefor indiSpen-
sable. 1t has we'll been called The
Balance Wheel of cropping system
since through the summer months,
when there is abundant forage and
to spare, the silo is means of con-
serving this over-production, when
it will yield the maximum amount
of food value, and preserve it for Win
ter use when succulent food is so pa
latable to live stock.
There have been men who have
tried the silo and pronounced it a
failure. But as a rule, it has been
found that the fault lay in that either
the silo had not been properly filled
or that the crop had not been cut in
the right stage of maturity. Crops
for insilage should not be cut too
green.
The silo may be constructed of con-
crete, brick or stone. The founda-
tion must be concrete or stone and
the ground floor thoroughly tamped.
The type most satisfactory, is a circu-
lar in form, deep, with perpendicular
walls, smooth on the inside surface
and the walls air tight. 1t should be
constructed with continuous doors
from top to bottom, properly housed
with a chute, and rooted.
Wooden silos can be constructed
at little cost and as rule give good
satisfaction. The sides should be
made of good material-fir lining pre-
ferable-free from cracks or knots.
The slaves should be tongued and
grooved to fit closely together and
bound together with substantial iron
bands. If the wooden silo is protect
ed by paint occasionally and if the
iron bands are tightened whenever
the wood shrinks it will be very dura-
able and give good satisfaction for
many years. The silo must be free
from cracks and crevices, that is air
tight below the top of the insilage.
If air is admitted along the sides
putrefactiye bacteria, produce rott-
ing which causes the silage to become
mouldy and worthless.
If the silo is smaller at the bottom
than at the top the mass will not pack
properly and there is danger of burst
ing the bottom bands by the great
pressure against the sides. Ii larger
at the bottom than at the top, the
mass will settle down and away from
the sides and the whole contents will
be in danger of spelling.
1t is possible to make silage with
out running the materials through
an insilage cutter, but it is not prac-
tical to do so, as it is very difficult
10 get the mass sufficiently packed to
insure good keeping. An insiiage
cutter should be used fitted with a
blower and pipe for delivering the cut
materials through the roof opening
nto the silo pit. When a telescope
distributor is used, one man can keep
The silage spread and tamped tightly
about the edges until the silo is two
thirds full. For the upper one
third, two men are required for the
work.
The silo preserves green fodder
such as corn (both ear and stock, al
falfa, clover, soy beans, field peas,
etch and oats, in fact any vegetation
or stock feeding Corn however, Is
tilted as insilage more than all
fher crops. The entire crop planf
as a feeding value, but at least one
Aird of its value is lost unless it is
reserved in silo.
Sixty per cent of its food value is
n the ear and forty per cent in the
took. If the ears are husked in tn"
field and the stalks and husks LETT
standing, approximately eighty per
3ent of the weight and fifty per cent
f the feeding value are lost, while ii
he corn crop is properly preserved in
a we'll Construed silo the loss is very
mail and the product is very n0urieH-
ny and greatly relished by all kinds
cf live stock.
Corn should be put in the silo when
he kernels are beginning to dent or
,aze. If the crop is too ripe or has
become dry by frosting, fermentation
yill not take place unless water is ad
& d to the mass. heterogeneous plants
:uch as clover, alfalfa of field peas,
when mixed with corn in the proper
ion of one ton to the former, to seven
r eight tons Of corn, makes well
balanced ration for dairy cows Peas
and soy-bean vines, clover and alfalfa
should be cut and allowed to wilt
before being placed in the silo with
corn, unless the corn is well matured.
In which event they should be stor-
ed as soon as cut, for they furnish
the moisture needed to start the fer
mentation.
Kale has also been found an ex-
cellent plant for ensilage. Unlike
other crops it is too succulent and
straw or hay to the amount Of one
sixth to one-fourth the weight Of the
kale should be cut in with it. The
most successful way is to have the
kale and the straw going through the
nsilage cutter at the same time. The
straw acts as an absorbant Of the ey-
ira juices, the bulk is increased and
the whole mass is rendered a pala-
table and nutritious ration. 1t should
be observed that for all crops to be
sliced there should be just enough
| moisture nresent to make the mac