Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-03-16
Farming in the NorthW es 4
FOR MORE and BETTER SIlOS
The Pit SAo-SAses Feed and Beats the High Cost OF sNos-The Kind
That Doesn't Blow Down o. Freeze Up-TWelfth ArHC1e. fNG&M@s
BY J. Z. Haney. Asrt Eztn. Dept. international Harvesters Ga

need not be as thick rs the founda-
ton in the ground, though perhaps 3
inches would be as thin Is it should,
be built. The inside Of the curb above
inside below ground, so that there
would apparently be a continuous
wall. When this section Of curb is
built the form can be removed and
set up at one end. and another sec
ton built. Some reinforcement should
be used if a silo Is to be set IN top Of
the curb and bolts should be set in
the curb as it is built. 50 as to bolt
the silo to the foundation.
The advantage in using d sectional
curb is that 1t does not require more
than 1-S or IL Of the lumber to build
It as it does if the curb is all built at
one time. BY putting a beveled 2x25
on the inside of the form at one end,
a good strong union "a be made with
the next section that is built.
The wallis of the silo should be
water, applied the same as white
wash. The brush coat fills up an
pores, in the wall and makes it per
fectly air tight. The brush coat should
be applied once a year, just before
filling, to keep the walls in good.
shape. &E28.
Getting the sifaee Out.
With many, getting the siha44 out
OF q pit silo is a great 'bug-a-boo."
However. We have found that with 4
conveniently arranged hoist, there il
very little difference in the time re.
CURED for feeding from the pit slid
and from n above ground. The dit
ference is so slight hat it can be prac-
tically ignored.
Reflline the Stlo.
One of the special advantages a.
the pit silo is the fact that it can be
refilled at any time during the winter
In fact, the silo at our Aberdeen, 8.
D., farm, has been filled five .timea
during n winter with dry corn fod-
der. The corn fodder is run through
the cutter, and as it goes into the silo
sufficient water is added through the
distributor to thoroughly moisten tit.
1t Is probable that a ton of dry fod-
der will require nearly a ton of water
to put it in proper shape.
The pit Silo is projected from ex-
IRENE cosd. being under ground, and
consequently will heat up in short
time and make good silage.
After having used these silos for the
past eight years on the I. H.. c.. farms,
and having filled them from one to
live years each year, we r more en-
thusiastic than ever as to the advan-
N6SS u tAAS kIHQf OIL BIO, ana can
heartily recommend them to anyone
having conditions suitable for building
the pit silo.
Put Anw Crop in the Silo.
We learned that corn is not the only
crop that may be used in a silo. A pit
was filled with white sweet clover that
made a total yield of Is toni per acre.
This sweet clover was in full bloom
when cut and made mostt excellent
sllaee. and was relished by all kinds
of stock, producing unusual gains
when fed to fattening. cattle. Further
+, west, where corn does not do well.
they lave had great success with fill
ing the silo with small grains, and it
is probable that they will yield as high
aIfeedlng value per acre as does corr
in the corn belt. S~unflowers, Russian
thistle, weeds and all crops have been
satisfactorily sliced.
1t can be said thai there is no ex-
cuse for not having silo, or for not
having a crop to putin it. A farmer
with 10 head of cattle could we'll az
ford to build a small pit silo. which
could be filled with very little ex-
pense of machinery, and which would
be Of incalculable value to him, es-
pecially in years of short crops. He
can afford to have several silos and
Till them when crops are good. Silage
will keep almost Indefinitely in a pit
silo-10 to Is years. The slogan for
every farmer should be: Zone silo or
more on every farm, and stock to eat
the silage."
Silage crops and filling the silo will
be discussed in a succeeding article.
tells more in detail Of the construc-
toni