The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1917-19??, 1917-08-30
IS There SILO
ON YOUR FARM
SiIage This Year Will Be More
Important in Sensible
Feeding Than Before
SILO PAYS ITS OWN COST
There Are Many Kinds Of Good sios'
But Wood-Hoop Sio Is Favored in
Many Places Because of Its inexpen-
siveness and Ease of Construction.

In general Tennessee farm practice
the length of the period OF usefulness
of the wOOd-stave silo is not determln-
ed by the number Of years the slaves
will last, but by the care the sllo re-
ceives. 1t is not uncommon to find
stave silo in good condition that has
been in use for ten years. Neglect OF
Tightening the hoops during the sum-
mer when the silo is empty results in
it's becoming twisted out of shape aid
not infrequently blowing down.
Notifications of the stave silo are in
unite common use in some sections OF
the state, the two types deserving par
ticular mention being the wood-hoop
and the garter.
The construction of the WOod-hoop
silo is described i'll Publication rs, OF
the Division of Extension, University
of Tennessee, Knoxville, copy of which
can be had for the asking. The partlc-
ular recommendation for the wood-hoop
silo is the Cheapness of construction,
considering satisfaction, and the length
of time it will last. Wood hoops are
used, made of thicknesses of green
white oak or elm, u KS" generally saw
ed from a log cut on the farm These
hoops are spaced about 2 feet apart
and the slaves (1"X4" tOngued and
grooved pine fooring) are nailed to
the inside of these hoops, leaving a
space of 2 feet wide for door This
makes a silo that is inexpensive, as
rigid as the regular stave silo, and the
hoops do not loosen when it is empty.
It can be constructed at very mod
crate cost, and will last on an average
of ten years.
The garter type of silo is on much
the same principle, except that rough
lumber is used for slaves. These are
nailed to the wooden hoops and on the
inside are lathed and plastered with
cement plaster In sections where II
is not easily possible to obtain tongued
! and grOoved flooring, and rough lum
Der is available, and enough cement
to make the plaster can be obtained
at small cost, this type of silo, if well
braced so as not to be shaken by winds
which crack the plaster, will give en-
, tire satisfaction at very reasonable
cost.
The cost of silos and materials for
their construction vary so greatly for
: different sizes and in different sections
that it is not possible to make com
parison that is reliable. The average
cost of the concrete silos that have
/ been built in Tennessee within the
past few years has been between $25C
and $500 per ton capacity. The cost
of the wood-hoop silo averages around
500 per ton capacity. Other staVe
slos vary in cost on account OF
the different kinds of lumber used II
their construction.
SO far as protecting the silage is
concerned, a roof on the silo is un
necessary. 1t serves as a protection
for the silo and for the feeder during
cold, rainy or snowy weather, but 1t!
value for the purpose hardly justilie'
its use where the fact of its being
very much in the way of filling the silC
is taken into consideration.
The inside of all silos, concrete al
we'll as wood, should be kept painted
and for this purpose coal tar, thinneC
with gasoline or heated so that it car
be put on readily with brush, is mos
commonly used Wood silos should b,
kept painted on the outsider. M
Murphy, Division of Agricultural FIX
tension, University of Tennessee
Knoxville.