The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1917-03-15

lures are resting, has been tested so often that
nearly every successful farmer has constructed one
or more of them.
The pit silo is only about three vears old ond hoe
Deen IN extensive use for only two years. It is not
u new thing, but 1t is new in the Southwest. where
1t is more valuable than in any other farming re-
gion in the United States. A few silos have been
in use in Iowa, in Illinois, and even in Mississipni.
for a number of years, but their use in these re-.
giOns has not spread.
A sllo is a Water-tight structure into which corn
and other fodder are packed while green so tightly
that no space is left for air, and with enough mois-
ture to insure fermentation. The material is gen.
orally cut into strips not more than an inch or two
in length. In the winter, after the fermentation
and curing process have been completed, the silo
is opened and the "mash" is fed to live stock. 1t
is as palatable and nourishing as green fodder,
and exhaustive and long-continued experiments
have proved that beef cattle, mich cows, hogs,
horses, mules, and sheep thrive on it. The process
preserves about 80 per cent Of the food values of
the green fodder. If the fodder is left in stacks or
shocks it loses fully one-half Of the food value
through the drying-out process.
In the Southwest last winter and spring the own
ers of pit silos learned that the immature and hot
wind dried-out fodder crops, which would have
been practically worthless as dry food, made a very
good food when converted into ensilage in the pit
silos. One Illustration will prove its value in this
regard.
]. C. Michael is a farmer in the Lincoln district
of Ell Paso county, in eastern Colorado. In August,
1913. when it was apparent that the drought and
hot winds had already made 1t impossible to secure
q crop, Michael, assisted by two men working at
odd times, built a 35-ton pit sio. The cash outlay
was only $4.45. Into this hole In the ground Michael
packed the corn from ten acres, the best Of which
would not yield more than ten bushels per acre.
The corn was immature and there was no chance
for It to improve. If harvested and stacked for use
ns fodder in dry form it would have been worth
only a few dollars per acre.
r.,, Lotto foil nnti1 SDrinp Mr.. Michael fed the
ensilage to 10 mich cows and II heifers, 20 pounds
q dav per head for the cows and five pounds for
the heifers. No grain was fed but the cattle were
given a little millet and oat straw for %roughage.
The entire herd kept in good condition, and the
ten cows provided Mr.. Michael with ten dollars
worth of cream every week.
The nit silos in the Southwest are generally moth
ing more than holes in the ground lined with &C.
ment of varying thickness. Some of them are con-
structed with q heavy concrete collar to prevent
the ground caving in and to keep out the moisture.
Some of them have concrete extension above the
surface of the ground. There are all sorts and
sizes and all shapes and kinds Of construction. for
the nit silo is still such a new farm device that 1t
has not been standardized. The cost ranges from
Sd AZ cash outlay of MI. Michael, to $3.50 for the
larger ones. with an inch cement lining and heavy
concrete collars extending deep into the ground
md above-ground extensions. The average cost of
the hundreds that have been built ranges between
SIS and $40.
number of interesting methods have been
brought into use to make the most of this new form
of silo. Two brothers, Ray and Fay Harner. who
live near Colby, in western Kansas. have discov-
cred q method by which they can dig q 3O-foot hole
for q pit silo in about two days. They contract to
dig nit silos 10 feet In diameter and 80 feet deep