Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-07-27

save ABOUT III cents pound on the
cost of producing a pound of butter
and 40 cents on making 100 pounds
of milk
Silos will save 80 per cent on the
feed bill for wintering young stock,
bulls, dry cows, horses and colts.
Silos will save from 81 to $3.50 on
the cost of making hundred pounds
OF beef or mutton. A silo is the key
to a full utilization of farm grown
grains and hays fed in a balanced
ration. Silos save labor, often mean
the difference between saving a corn
crop or losing it through frost, hail
or drouth. Silos will preserve al
most any forage or combination of
forages. If the 1921 Wisconsin corn
crop is a success and natures proper
ly silos will make the best use Of it,
If trouble comes and conditions
threaten failure at the last moment,
silos will prevent a total loss. Ger
tainly the banker ought to loan money
on silo to the man who builds his
first one or to another who needs ex-
ira silage capacity. Farmers who
have available financial resources of
their own and who do not possess
silos cannot make sounder invest
ment than 10 build a silo this sum
mer.
Repairs and adjustments on the silo
and on the silage cutter and elevator
or blower require early attention.
These should not be delayed until
the morning when the neighbors come
over to buckle down to the job. Let
US be forehand and ready we'll in adj
vance. Too many silage cutters are
standing in odd corners streaked
with rust and coated with dirt and
dried oils and grease, unprotected
from the weather. Too many silOs
are lopsided and gaping with cracks
and loose at the foundation. 1t is
not consistent for any of us to berate
the high cost of farm implements
when we have to hunt waist-high in
a weed patch to find our silage cutter.
This is year when we must save
what we have and lower production
costs to the limit.
Examine the silo now. Look for
openings in the walls where air
might enter and spoil the silage.
Hunt for rough spots which might
prevent the even settling of the corn.
Tighten the hoops enough to close all
the gaps, but not enoug to buckle che
slaves. Then afterward, when the
silo is filled, loosen up the hoops
trifle, because the slaves absorb
moisture from the wet corn. look
over the concrete silos for cracks,
rough spots and sand pockets. APP
ply a thin coating of rich cement
when the walls are too rough. Use
paint to keep the walls of metal silos
from corroding. Inspect the engine,
cutter and corn binder early. Ar
range for enough men, teams and
wagons to do the job of filling and
refilling.
Plan to have a clear road to the
cutter and another road leaving it
toward the field again. Avoid clut-
tering up the premises with other
machinery. Sweep the boards clean
for the job in hand. Give everyone
elbow room. Select a good founda-
ton for the cutter, because here is
where so much trouble comes. Side
hill locations will require special at
tention beforehand in this matter.
Fasten the machines securely with
stakes, and sink grooves for the
wheels. Be careful to erect the
blower pipe right and fasten it at
CuG IOp SGCuI ely w oAAO AOOA' VI
hops if there is no ladder on the silO
it would be a good thing to build one
reaching from the top door to the out
side roof opening so that man can
climb up inside of an empty silO and
lower the rope to pull up and place
the blower and carrier. Try to set
the cutter as near the silo as pos
sible so that the blower pipe will run
tr~I,t oI.dc
more power to elevate silage through
moderately slanting pipe, Look to
the bolts and bearings, especially
the bolts which hold the cutter bar
and knives Start operations on slow
speed and let it run without feeding
for a while Then begin feeding slow
ly until sure that all is properly set
Never Jam ahead and force things at
the outset.
Look to it that the size and speed
of the engine or tractor to be used
suits the speed al which the cutter
should run Reduced speed and
clogged blower pipes are often caused
by not enough attention to the pulley
size and the betting arrangements.
When the power is light short Let's
are better THAI long ones, but when
power is ample for the JoD the !ohg
belt, by its added weight, prevents
slipping.
Get two sets OF knives for the cutter
and consider whether 1t might NOT De
a good plan 10 attach knife grinder
on the cutter, so that the extra set
of knives can be sharpened while the
first set is in use.
Plan to do the feeding so as not to
oyercrowd tie cutter or ID the feed
ing in iecky fashion. Have the ma
chine continuously filled all The time
so that clean cutting to the one halt
inch length or so will be done evenly
Wisconsin farmers must watch the
corn crop this year and cut it right
for the silo. 1t is not good when too
green, and neither is it best when
very harsh and dry with general
weathering or frost. Corn is at the