The Yale expositor., 1917-08-02
NEED IS FOR MORE Sill.
Late Season May Mean Much Frosted
Corn This Fall-Can Be Saved
In Silos.
BY PROF. II. II. MussELMAN,
Department Of Farm Mechanics, Mich
igan Agricultural College.

East Lansing, Mich. - Conditions
prevalent this season may lead those
Michigan farmers who haven't already
acquired one of these aids to progress
sive agriculture TO do more thinking
about silos than has been their custom
heretofore. In many sections of the
state corn was seeded late and il is a
week or more behind schedule. A ia
vorable summer and fall may counter
act these delays, but If Michigan is not
so blessed-and of all things the
weather is least TO be trusted-there
is a chance that much of the crop may
be caught by the frost or of necessity
harvested before II is ripe. In either
emergency there is nothing better than
silo to reduce losses to minimum.
Immature or frosted corn can be cared
for in no better way than by storing in
a well built silo.
If you are considering putting up
one of these structures, preparations
for building should be made early, for
considerable time is required to secure
materials, and still more allowance
must be made for the work of CON
struction.
This question naturally presents it.
self: How big n silo should be builtT'
With the increasing use of the mason
ry silo, the height has been gradually
extended. This can be safely done.
because the heavier type silOs are less
liable to blow over. The increased
height also is a great advantage from
the standpoint of capacity. 1t may be
stated that a silo 40 feet in depth has
nearly three times the capacity of II
silO 20 feet in depth. The increased
capacity is due TO the greater packing
secured with the increased height.
In calculating the size of silo it is
customary to allow 80 pounds per day
for each 1,000-pOund dairy COW for n
period of six To eight months. For Il
period of seven months this requires
practically 31a tons for each animal.
If ten animals are to be fed, silo of
at least 40 tons capacity will be re-
quired. To prevent spoilage of silage
at least two inches must be fed off
each day in warm weather. Increas-
ing the height of silO, therefore,
rather than its diameter, is of advan-
tage in that il increases the depth
which may be fed daily.
As a rule Silo may be profitably
used with ten cows. 1t is not advisa-
BILE To build with diameter of less
than ten feet. A good rule for height
is TO make the height at least three
times the diameter. Thus ii will be
seen that 10 by 80 foot, u by 80
foot, or ii by 40 foot will be about the
| right proportions to build.
Remembering that each full-grown
animal requires about 31a tons of sill
age per year and that the slo should
be at least 30 feet high, the size of
silo may be very easily determined.
The approximate capacity of silOs
| of varying diameters and heights is as
/ follows:
Diameter 10 feet-Height 40 feet
capacity 40 tons height 80 feet, capac-
ity IS tons; height 80 feet, capacity
46 tons; height % feet, capacity 35
tons; height 20 feet, capacity 90 tons
Diameter u feet-Height 40 feet
capacity 104 tons; height 80 feet
capacity SO tons height 80 feet, capac-
ity 6S tons; height % feet capacity 81
tons; height 20 feet. capacity 81 tons
Diameter IA feet-Height 40 feet
capacity 40 tons; height 80 feet
capacity 115 tons; height 80 feet
capacity SO tons; height % feet
capacity II tons; height 20 feet, capac
ity 81 tons.
Diameter 10 feet-Height 40 feet
capacity 1S4 tons; height 80 feet
capacity 152 tons; height 30 feet
capacity 120 tons; height % feet
capacity 81 tons; height 20 feet, capac
ity SO tons.