Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-03-16

lures are resting has been tested so often that
nearly every successful farmer has constructed one
of them.
The pit silo is only about three years DID, and has
been in extensive for only two years. 1t is not
new thing, but it is in the Southwest, where
it is more valuable than in any other farming
gion in the United States. A few silos have been
in in Iowa, in Illinois, and even in Mississippi,
for number of years, but their use in these
giOns has not spread.
A silO is a water-tight structure into which corn
and other fodder are packed while green tightly
that space is left for air. and with enough mois-
ture to insure fermentation. The material is gen
orally cut into strips not more than 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 green fodder,
and exhaustive and longcontinued 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
rs of pit sos learned that the immature and hot
wind dried-out fodder crops, which would nave
been practically worthless as dry food made very
good food when converted into ensilage in the pit
silos One illustration will prove its value in this
regard.
r G. Michael is a farmer in the Lincoln district
Nf Ri Paso county in eastern Colorado. In August,
1913 when it was apparent that the drought ana
not winds had already made 1t impossible TO secure
n crop Michael, assisted by two men working at
odd times built 35-ton pit silo. The cash outlay
was only 81 As Into this hole in the ground Michael
hacked the corn from ten acres, the best OF which
would not yield more than ten bushels per acre.
srhe corn was immature and there was no chance
for if to improve. If harvested and stacked for use
as fodder in dry form it would nave Deen worth
cnIv few dollars per acre.
From late fall until spring Mr. Michael fed the
onSilaoe 70 10 mich and II helferS, ~ POUNDS
81 dev per head for the cows and five pounds for
~ho boifars Nc grain was fed, but the cattle were
si1,on a little milet and oat straw for roughage.
TThe entire herd kept in good condition, and the
tom COWS provided Mr.. Michael with ten dollars
worth of cream every week
The nit siIos in the Southwest generally moth
ING more than holes in the ground lined with ce-
mont of varying thickness. Some OF them are con-
ctruc+ed with heavy concrete collar to prevent
the ground caving in and to keep OUT the moisture.
some of them have concrete extension above the
Srrface of the ground. There are all sorts and
civas and all shapes and kinds OF construction, Tor
+he Dit so is still such new farm deVlce tnat IL
roc not been standardized. The cost ranges from
Cd Ak cash outlay of Mr.. Michael, to $l50 for the
larger ones. with an inch cement lining and heavy
ncro+o collars extending deep into the ground
"a ground extensions. The average cost of
t hundreds that have been built ranges between
S15 and $50.
A number of interesting methods have been
7roupht into use to make the most OF this new TORN
of so Two brothers, Ray and Fay Harner, VINO
1.-Two near Colby in western Kansas, have dlscov-
ored q method by which they can dig 30foot hole
for nit silo in about two days. They contract to
dig pit silos 10 feet in diameter ana ~ 1eet oeep