The spectator., 1921-10-04


 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. Slos are a compara 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 a tar brush.
 Wooden silos, either stave or board construction, require additional atten- tion. The hoops of stave silos should be frightened and any defective pieces of wood replaced. In wood silos, par tlcularly 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 CTS and silo-filling machinery are ire quently owned in partnership by sev- 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 k 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, flat hayracks. The low wheeled wagon is much preferred to the high one An underslung rack can be constructed with comparative ease and will save much labor. The rack consists of two by 6 inch bed pieces, 10 or 20 feet in length, bolted together at the end to form a V. On top of these timbers Is built q rack feet in width. The bottom of this rack is about feet long. The end boards are feet high. built fnring so they do not quite touch tho 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 it's construction are 80 board feet of by inch blanks, 96 feet of boards l by 12 inches. 9 feet of lumber 2 by 4 inches, one long kingbolt, two stirrup rods, and bolts and nails.
 siIase 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 chnery which has sufficient or ex- cess capacity. The mistake is often made of getting an outfit that is too small thus making the operation of filling the silos slow and interfering with the continuous employment of the entire force of men. A number of satisfactory silage cutters are on the market. The chief features to he considered in cutter are that it is strongly made and will cut fine.
 Opinions differ as to the fineness to which silage should be cRt. The length varies from one-fourth to one inch. The latter is little too long. as the pieces dc not pack 90 closely in the silo, and they are not so completely consumed in feeding as the shorter lengths. On the other hand. the longer the pieces the more rapidly the corn can be run through the cutter. Fine cutting and thorough uamping are needed if 1t is desired to make the best quality of silage and fIl the silo to its greatest capacity.
 Two types of elevators are in use the old-style chain carrier and the blower. The chain carrier requires less power, but is harder to set up and makes more litter, especially in windy weather, though some chain car riers are so inclosed as to keep the corn from blowing out. In using the blower type the blower should be placed as nearly perpendicular as pos sible.
 Harvest Corn Before Fully Ripe.
 Ordinarily, corn should be harvested for the silo about . week or ten days