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

In speaking at. the farm meetings
over the Grand Forks territory during
the past month, we found much inter-
est in silos. Many farmers realize that
they must have live stock and know
they need a silo, but the first cost of
concrete. tile or brick, or any Of the
more expensive wood silos is almost
p~rohibitive. One farmer said that If
he had $1,000 to put into a silo, and
$4,000 for a barn, he would not need
to worry about live stock. After six
years experience with straw shed, pit
silo and the inexpensive W by six
stave silo, we are convinced that a
big outlay for barns and silos is no
necessary. If a concrete silo and So
900 barn could be built without going
in debt, we would prefer 1t, but we
would rather buy good stock and keep
them in a straw shed and feed from a
pit silo or two by six home made stave
in debt. Dur straw shed is 30x8O feet,
and will hold eighty head OF cattle.
and all the material in it did not cost
500. A 12x24 IT. two by six stave silo
can be built for $3.50. These amounts
are for material; all the work was
done by men OF the farm, or can be
done by any farmer.
The following description Of the
building of the home made silo is be-
ing printed for distribution, and will
be fully illustrated, SO that anyone will
be able to build a silo.
The Homo Made Silo Booklet.
This booklet is dedicated to the
poor cows that are expected to pro-
duce milk profitably on dry hay,
grain and ice water during our long
winters. Also to the unfortunate man
who has to dig his hay and fodder out
of the snow drifts during sub-zero
weather.
Farming without live stock in the
wheat belt is no longer profitable:
Good live stock, cattle. sheep and
admit Of rotating the crops and re-
turning fertility to h soil-.which
will increase the yield Of grain. and
bring more permanent prosperity
diversified or safe farming.
You Car Build One.
A silo may be built of any material
that will keep the silage and moisture
in, and the air out. Silage does not
spoil in the silo because the air lis kept
from it. A thin layer OF silage molds
on top, and keeps the air from the
silage below. This can be thrown away
when the silo Is opened.
y Concrete. tile or brick are more
durable than wood, and also more ex'
pensive. Double walled, wood silos
may protect the si1age from freezing
to sone extent, but are much slower
to thaw out when warm weather
comes, and are also much more ex
pensive than single walled wood stavt
silos.
The Pit Silo.
t The pit silo is gaining in favor yer!
| rapidly, where they can be built, ant
has many advantages. Silage does no
freeze in them. they cannon olov
down, can be built at a very low cos
! by anyone and less expensive machin
: cry is needed to fill them. The bes
size is IL feet in diameter and y
q feet deep. A curb Of crete should D
: built three feet below and three fee
: above the surface of the ground as
: protection. Below the curb. cemen
walls, about three quarters Of an inc
=, thick. A cash outlay of $50 for ce
ment and sand will build a pit sill
I large enough to handle 20 to 40 hea
Of cattle depending on what other Zee
It is available. We have a booklet full
If interested, n will be sent free o
d request. We also have booklets dc
scribing the building Of straw she'd
e handling cattle, growing corn, alfalf
and sweet clover. etc.
l. The Two by Six Stave silo.
- On each Of our demonstration farm
) we built pit silos. but Is we needle
~ more silo room, and had to have 1t
q hurry, we put home made silos Q
= top of the pit silos. In neither silo
= there a thing that was made or IL
tended for a silo before we bought
q II it is not desirable to have a p
N silo first. this home made silo can I
le set on a fiat wood, or concrete found,
q ton. Concrete would of - pr.
" ferable. II a pit Ave to eight feet dee
is dug, there may be a curb built fro
the bottom up, q foot or 30 abo'
= ground. The slaves will last longer
. they are up above ground.
In building the foundation or cur
bolts should be set in the concrete
that the bottom of the silo could