Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-22
Concrete Foundation or Pit.

we QlQ not llSuIc OA OH
when we built the pit silos.
Concrete Foundation or Pit.
If the water comes so near the sur
face HI it would not be advisable to
build a pit, the silo may be set on
be 10 feet in diameter for a IL foot
silo. Level off the ground n with a
G. It. 6 in. radius make a circle and
drive stakes two feet apart outslde:
Soaked lumber, resawed, can be. bent
inside the sakes to hold the concrete,
inches thick. Some old wire, rods, etc.
should be thrown in to reinforce the
concrete. v.s 4-.
If a pit four to ten feet deep can be
dug, it will add very much to the ca
pacity of the silo. A form would have
place, and should be the same diam
eter as the silo.
A fiat foundation, six inches thick.
would require about two loads Of sand
and ten sacks of cement. For a 6 IT.
pit, with an s in. wall, 1t would require
sacks. Of cement. Where the soil is dry
and hard, a curb of cement can be
put down three feet below the surface.
and the wall plastered below, similar
to a pit silo. This would require less
sand and cement
Wood Curb
1t may not be necessary to build a
! circular wood curb of 2xS and 2X6,
, cut to the circle of the silo, to set h
slaves on, but we did this. This is laid
on top of the concrete foundation.
as a radius, we marked out on a 2x8.
! cut in 3 It. pieces, a IL IT. circle. These
may be sawed in a IL IT. circle with a
thin rip saw, with plenty of set, or
more easily with a band saw. On top
Of the 2x8, and back of the thickness
inch, we spiked a circle of 2x6's. cut
the same way. The pieces Of 2x8 and
2x6 were spiked together, SC as to
break joints, and the circle was left
in four sections, to make handling
easier, and also~to enable the closing
in of the circle as the hoops were
frightened. The slaves are set on top
and flush with the inside edge Of the
2xS, and against the 2x6 circle.
Have 2x6 Slaves Square at Ends
and Same Length.
The slaves used were just yard run
2x6 fir, "a feet long. The edges were
not beveled as we believe a tiShter
fit is secured with less danger of
bursting hoops than when beveled.
There is a slight opening at the out
sdie, between he,s slaves, but when the
uOOpS dTc LIZ IllGlllS dnu lIc SllO
filed, and the slaves swell, there is
very little opening left. as the slaves
will curve out in the middle. They will
s%traighten back to some extent when
the silage is out and the slaves dry.
We were careful to put the best edges
of the slaves inside regardless Of
, which side was planed.
Good straight sound lumber, free
from loose knots, shakes or barn,
; should be selected. There is a rule that
! a silo should be as high as twice the
, diameter, i. e., a 10 TT. silo should be
: "a feet high and a 16 IT. silo 80 feet
, high.
t Door-Continuous Opening.
, !, The doors or opening for getting
! out the silage was made continuous
. from bottom to top. Two 4x6's, the
= = same length as slaves, are held two
!. feet apart by half inch rods. Old three.
quarter inch gas pipe can be cut and
y the rods passed through these to hole
: the Axe timber apart, (long threads
Il and burrs each side Of Axis would b
!. all rightly and also to serve as a lad
der. Cletes are nailed on the 4x6 o
q and three quarters inch back from thu
inner edge, and 2x6 or 2x8 cut ant
laid in as the silo is filled. A single
thickness Of tar paper put over tn,
4 door as the .silo flls insures asains
- any air leaks.