American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-02-01

large storage space for dry fodder.
OF the $1,000 about $500 is taken as
the cost of the four silos and the
building which cover them. together
with equipment for raising and feed
ing the ensilage.
In the center between the four silos
there is erected a derrick, embedded
in concrete, from which the silage box
is suspended on pulleys. regulated by
a windlass. The box can be swung
around at will and lowered into any
one Of the four silos and filled. 1t is
then lifted out by the windlass, low
cred onto the concrete runway lead
ing into the feeding barn, and run on
it's own rollers between the two rows
Of stanchions, where the ensilage is
forked out to the cows.
The collars on the four silos, like
the barn housing them, are construct
ed of adobe, plastered over with a
three-quarter inch coating of concrete.
The calf barn is a new structure,
separated from the general dairy
barn. This, together with hog house
attached, cost $3.50 and is built Of
adobe bricks.
Superintendent Adams says it is not
necessary to have the soil type known
as adobe for the construction of build
ings. In fact, the Cheyenne Wells
barns are not of that type of soil, but
of ordinary dark loan. He says:
I'VE select for our bricks the black
est soil with the least sand. The
heavy sod has the most roots and we
cut just deep enough to get the grass
roots. After selecting our soil for
building blocks we pillow burrows and
then cut up the earth with a disk.
We haul water to the spot and muck
the soil, cutting up and mixing just
enough to handle conveniently in half
a day. We have n form and after
the bricks are moulded and left on
the ground for half a day, they are
turned on edge and thus left to dry
for about ten days, which is sufficient
if the weather is favorable. We then
haul the bricks to the building site
and lay them in mud made from the
same kind of soil. It is not necessary
to have what is known as adobe soil
to make these building bricks, but
most any good tight soil will do.
There are soils that will slack when
exposed to the elements and these
naturally will not, nor will a sandy
soil answer the purpose"
Hens Lay in Winter.
The open front poultry house which
shelters from go to 80 laying hens. is
an adobe style building. Early hatch
ing brings winter eggs. Mrs. Adams
looks after the hens and while she
has an incubator, she prefers the set
ting hen. She sets her first hens in
March and usually has some pullets
laying in September. The chickens
are never allowed outdoors when the
weather is severe, nor when the snow
is soft. Mrs. Adams has a system
of setting two hens in n coop. After
they hatch out the eggs, she removes
one of the hens and turns the chicks
over to the other. The hen is kept
shut up in a portable pen that allows
the chicks to run outside. Naturally
when a storm comes they run back
to the hen and the usual spring losses
are avoided.
This is just a part of the story of
how this experimental farm is run in
a practical way-an unusual thing for
farms of that character. The man
who goes to Cheyenne Wells expect
ing to see a show place will be disap-
pointed; he who goes to learn will
ind even a days visit crowded with
interest and information of practical
value.
This station is run for the benefit
of the people and Superintendent
Adams gladly answers questions about
his farm practices and his expert
ence with the dairy. the silos and
the crops that keep them flled.-Alvin
T. Steinel in Western Farm Life.