Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1921-10-06


OF AGriculture.)
With the approach of the time for
filling the silo the United States De-
partment of Agriculture calls attention
to the desirability of putting silos in
shape and making plans for filling
which will save valuable time in the
rush Of work. Silos are compare
lively new feature of farm manage
ment, and in many cases have been
built less substantial than some of the
older forms of farm structure.
SiIos Need Occasional Attention.
Even the best constructed silos will
need some attention occasionally. Con-
crete silos, which are among the most
expensive Of construction, require
the least attention as general rule,
but they will give better service If
the inside Is given coat of special
paint about once in three years. Paint
for treating the interiors of silos is
easily made of new coal tar mixed with
gasoline and applied with tar brush.
Wooden silos, either stave or board
construction, require additional atten-
ton. The hoops Of stave silos should
be frightened and any defective pieces
of wood replaced. In wood silos, par
ticularly the cheaper ones and those
of home make, there is always the
likelihood of inlets for air, which will
spoil the silage. If the silo is so
built as to require guy wires, these
should be frightened to keep the build
ing plumb and well braced to with
stand winds.
Small Bundles Easier to Handle.
Careful attention should be paid to
seeing that the machinery to be used
in harvesting and storing the silage is
in working condition. Corn harvest
ers and silo-filling machinery are fire.
Quently owned in partnership by sew
eral farmers and, Of course, arrange
ments need to be made in advance to
see that all the owners get their corn
in at the season when it is in best
shape. In using the corn harvester
the bundles should be made rather
small. While this takes more time,
the extra expense is more than offset
by the ease in handling the bundles
and feeding them into the silage cut
ter.
The corn ordinarily is hauled to the
cutter on common, fiat hayracks. The
low-wheeled wagon is much preferred
to the high one. An undressing rack
can be constructed with comparative
ease and will save much labor. The
rack consists Of two 4 by inch bed
pieces, 10 or 20 feet in length,
bolted together at the end to form
v. On top Of these timbers is built
a rack feet in width. The bottom
of this rack is about s feet long The
end boards are feet high, built
flaring so they do not quite touch
the wheels.
The apex Of the V is suspended be-
low the front axle of an ordinary
farm wagon by means Of long king
bolt. The other ends are attached
below the hind axle by U-shaped
clevises. The materials needed in its
construction are so board feet of 4
by inch planks, SO feet OF boards
l by 10 inches, % feet of lumber
by inches, one long kingbolt, two
stirrup rods, and bolts and nails.
SiIaae Cutter Needs to Be Strong.
If the silage cutter and lifting ma.
chinery have not been selected, every
effort should be made to get ma
chinery which has sufficient or ex
cess capacity. The mistake is otter
| made of getting an outfit that is toe
small, thus making the operation OF
filling the silos slow and interfering
with the continuous employment o.
the entire force of men. A number
Of satisfactory silage cutters are OF
the market The chief features tt
be considered in cutter are that il
is strongly made and will cut fine.
Opinions differ as to the fineness t.
which silage should be cut. The length
varies from one-fourth to one inch
The latter is a little too long, as TIL
pieces do not pack so closely in tn
silo, and they are not so completed.
consumed in feeding as the shorte
lengths. On the other hand, tn
longer the pieces the more rapidly tn
corn can be run through the cutter
Fine cutting and thorough trampin
are needed if it is desired to make TIL
best quality of silage and fill the sill
to It's greatest capacity.
Two types of elevators are in use
the old-style chain carrier and tn
blower, The chain carrier require
less power, but is harder to set u
and makes more litter, especially i
windy weather, though some chain ca
riers are so inclosed as to keep til
corn from blowing out. In using til
blower type the blower should b
placed as nearly perpendicular as po
sible.
Harvest Corn Before Fully Ripe.
Ordinarily, corn should be ilarveste