The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1925-08-13
VALUE OF TRENCH
SILO EMPHASIZED
GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY IN
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
PRAISES 1T

far west the Great Northern has
gone to considerable trouble and
pains to investigate and present in
an intelligent way the value of the
trench silo. They have published an
eight page illustrated folder showing
pictures of and the methods of con-
structing one. Copies of this book
let will be sen to any interested
parties who desire them.
In addition they have accumulat-
ed a fund of information about thi
plan of silo and have a number of
letters from ranchers who have sue
cessfully used them.
Nels J. Peterson, Watford City
n. D. wrote as follows: "Tho 7
had put my corn fodder in the
Trench Silo without cutting it still
the corn made good silage and my
COWS relished it with little waste.
The silo is 26 feet long to the be-
ginning of the slope and 9 feet deep
by II feet wide at the top. The
bottom is about eight feet across.
The corn was laid in smoothly and
was packed by a horse ridden by
my little boy. From 4 to 10 inches
of silage was discolored or partly
spoiled on top but cattle at it with
out damage tho perhaps feeding
this discolored silage is a little risky.
The cash outlay was only $40, and
had it been necessary to hire the
work done it would not have cost
over $50. This silo held 9 acres of
corn fodder. Certainly the Trench
Silo is the thing for a farmer who
doesn't have the money to put in a
more permanent type"
w. N. Noteboom, Fairview, Mont,
wrote as follows: "The Trench
Silo I dug at odd times during the
fall of "a has given excellent re-
suits. Beet tops were stored sue
cessfully in it and furnished winter
feed for hogs, sheep and cattle. 1t
was dug about IA feet wide at top
and 10 feet wide at bottom with a
depth of about 4 feet and plank
sides about 4 feet above ground
were used. 1t is As feet long and
the entire expense was $40, which
allows S25 for labor and SIS for
the plank sides. No top was placed
on the silo. The beets were cover
ed with about one foot of flax straw
and freezing bothered scarcely not
at all. The steam from the beet
Top silage favored the flax straw 30
that all the straw was fed with the
silage and was eaten with relish.
The Trench Silo is surely a good
thing for renters and others who do
not care to put much money in a
permanent type Of silo."
The 335-ton Trench Silo at the
John Etchepare ranch, midway be-
tween Glasgow and Nashua, has
created no little interest among
farmers of Valley County, many of
whom travelled a considerable dis
lance to see what is doubtless the
silo in the county.
Numerous western feeders still
doubt the value of silage as live
stock feed, but Mr.. Etchepare steps
out to prove the value Of a silo un-
Ter Montana conditions. Mr.. Etche-
pare last year had 55 acres Of corn ,
lnder irrigation and 70 on the
bench land. The irrigated corn was
frosted September last. This made(
t necessary for him to take immedi-
tie steps to save it for feed. He
decided that the best thing to do s
vas to construct a trench silo. His \
rench silo is 100 feet long, IS feet Z
vide, and 10 feet deep and holds
.35 tons. The Nels Cotton silage
utter was hired and the Heikens
Brothers threshing crew was put to
york filing the silo and in a weeks
Mr.. Etchepare had 335 tons :
f perfectly good feed stored away o
winter, which the wind cannot
low away, the rain cannot spoil q
nd where it can be had and fed in v
he worst kind of a blizzard-all for
ess than $500 per ton, including the t
lilo. n
The cost of the silo was four 4
.ays' labor with two fresnos, one
low and three men, which, figuring D
t harvest wages would amount to 1
bout $1,000. Mr.. Etchepare says
nyone can have a Trench Silo if
e is willing to work three or four
avs. 1t requires no cash outlay.
The silage was used for feed of c,
fr. Etchepare's dairy cows all win s.
er and about March 1st he started d
the silage to the ewes. BY NJ
silage to the ewes, his ewes r
amb easier, and give more milk q
is one trouble in early lamb W
ng. Thus silage almost takes the f,
lace of green pasture for the May o.
ambing. Mr.. Etchepare saved his i
rosted corr and converted it into q,
EXCELLENT feed and he states he is .,
till one Jump ahead of the weather :.