256 



STATE BOARD OF AaRICULTURE. 



previously to a stave silo were" put about the silo, as shown in Fig. 16, 

 and the cracks pointed with a rich cement mortar, since which the silo 

 has worked very satisfactorily. 



A diversity of views are expressed as to the effectiveness of the hol- 

 low block in preventing the freezing of the ensilage. It is asserted that 

 in this silo the ensilage was frozen two feet back from the solid 6 inch 

 blocks of the upper wall, but that practically no freezing occurred 

 back of the hollow blocks below. 



The quality of the ensilage in this silo is s^id to be very uniform 

 throughout. 



THE STOLL SILO. 



Fig. IS shows a cement block silo built upon the farm of Wm. Stoll, 

 tliree miles west of Lansing. This silo, built in the summer of 1907, 



Fig. 19. Blocks used in the construction of tlie Stoll silo (Fig. 18) and the form used 



in making them. 



was planned and built by INIr. Stoll hiniself. It has an inside diameter 

 of 12 feet and a height of 30 feet. In the construction of this silo a 

 cement foundation 18 inches thick was laid extending down from the 

 surface of the ground 4I/2 feet. The cement floor stands 6 inches above 

 the base of the foundation. Upon this foundation the superstructure of 

 85 tiers of cement blocks is built. All but the upper 5 tiers of blocks 

 are hollow and all have a face of 24 inches x Sy^ inches. The blocks 

 of the lower tier are 10 inches thick. Those of the second tier are 9% 

 inches thick and those of the third tier are 9 0/S inches thick and so 

 on up. The thickness of the blocks of any tier is 14 ii^ch less than those 

 of the tier next below. 



The form used in constructing the blocks was similar to that used 

 to make the blocks for the Weeks' silo (see Fig. 19). As soon as a 

 sufficient number of blocks was made for any tier the outer edge of 

 the ends of the form were trimmed down % of an inch and then the 

 blocks for the next tier were made, and so on. The hollows in the blocks 

 vary from 4 inches x 7 inches in the 10-inch blocks to 2 inches x 7 

 inches in the 6I/4 blocks of the thirtieth tier. 



