Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-03-15
8. SLIP is aacheap and convenient
place to store feed.
q. Two or three years.. feed supply

place to store feed.
z. Two Or three years feed supply
can be stored In silos. {
While the above the ground silo is
generally considered the most copven-
lent, the pit silo, or underground silo,
has advantages which make it prefer
able to any other form Of silo/! regard
less Of cost. The pit silo is not new.
gfor 1t has been in use in Europe for
centuries. and there are thousands OF
them in this country\now.tIn sections
where the water IN wells is not nearer
the surface than 20 or 80 feet, andsthe
soil is not gravel or sand, the pit si1o
has the following advantages:
The Cheapest Silo-And the Besa
First. cost Of construction: The larg-
est item Of cost in construction OF the
caNating. If this can be done " the
help on the farm at odd times, oraby
exchanging work with a neighbor.
there need not be any cash outlay for
this item. For a pit silo IL feet In
diameter and 20 feet deep, the total
cost, outside Of labor, varies from $40
to $50. depending on the cost OF sand,
gravel and cement. Four or five loads
Of sand n 40 to so sacks of cement
will build a pit silo. The cost Of exca-
waiting the dirt would depend On the
wages at whicH the work was figured.
Estimates of this cost by those who
have built them varies almost AZ
much as the ost of cement and gray
Ell. The county agent in Morton c0un-
ty, North Dakota. put in over SO pit
silos in 1920, and the average cost OF;
including labor, they cost $15s each.
Second, small expense in filling: As.
it is not necessary to elevate the ST.
lage, a smaller and less expensive
cutter may be used, and also a great
deal less power is required.
Third: The pit s;lo is easily kept
air tight. which is a very essential
feature of the silo.-
Fourth, An even temperature is
maintained throughout the year. Be-
ing below h ground. the silage will
not freeze, nor will it heat IL kept
over the summer. or longer.
Fifth: Will not blow down: being
in the ground, the winds can have NO
effect on it. which gives 1t q great
wood silo. a. -
Sixth: 1t lis simple and easy to con-
truct and can be built by any, farmer
at a slack time OF the season, with
GU the aid Of expensive help. IL
Seventh: Several can be built and
filled during gpod years, and the ST.
lage left to be fed when there is 4
short crop.
Points to BE Kept Ia Mind
There are certain points that must
be kept in mind when constructing
the pit silo. in ordss that it may give
'"f f4r 1ss' 1 Ioe.tssy re tho vaser ao.,
not come too NJ the surface. Tho
pit silo Is better kkpted to the drier,
tregions, but maybe constructed in
the humid sections where conditions
are right. 1t Is not advisable to trGt
to construct a pit silo below the per-
manent water table. However, a
common practice is to 90 down 10. to
then put a short silo above ground,
This is a very satisfactory arrange
ment.
Second: The silo should have 4
curb extending 2 to 3 feet below, and
the same above the ground, for pro-
lection.
Third. The walls OF the silo
to one inch thick with a good Quality
cement and sand. mixed one Nof &C.
ment to three Of sand. X N
Fourth: The walls should be wash
ed with q thin coat of cement to keep
them air tight and water tight.
( Fifth: The walls should be made
perpendicular and smooth, SO the ST.
lage will settle evenly.
Sixth: A good cover provided with
doors should be put on the silo, to
hold the heat in and also to keep the
animals n dirt out. t
Building Of Pit Silo.
The building Of the pit silo Is a very
simple process. The first step Ia to To-
cate it as nearly as possible to where
the silage is to be fed. If the feeding
is done in the barn. put the silo at
n side Or end Of the born, or even
in the ba[n. under a driveway. This
would admit of using a common feed
carrier track, which could be extend
ed out over the silo. and the silage
raised with the same apparatus that is
ordinarily used in handling other
feeds. A lean-to OF she'd could be
built over the silo to protect it in cold
weather.
Laying out and building the pit -silo
will be discussed in a succeeding ar
ticle.
n,N ANII cAVc