47^^ Bulletin 167. 



Material to use for staves. — It is probable that no better mate- 

 rial can be obtained for the staves than Southern cypress. This, 

 however, is so expensive in New York State as to preclude its 

 use in most cases. Of the cheaper materials hemlock, white- 

 pine, and yellow-pine are usually the most available. 

 At the present time hemlock is one of the cheapest satisfac- 

 tory materials which can be purchased and it is probably as good 

 as anj^ of the cheaper materials. It should be sound and free 

 from loose knots. 



Preparation of the staves for the silo. — If the silo is to have a 

 diameter of 12 feet or less the staves should be made of either 

 2x4 material unbevelled on the edges and neither tongued nor 

 grooved, or of 2 x 6 material bevelled slightly on the edges to 

 make the staves conform to the circular shape of the silo. If the 

 silo is to have a diameter of more than 12 feet the staves should 

 be of 2 x 6 material and neither bevelled nor tongued and grooved 

 on the edges. If the staves are left perfectly plain, then when 

 they are set in place and drawn together the first point of con- 

 tact will be the inner edge and the tighter the hoops are drawn 

 the closer will become the contact of the staves at the inner edge. 

 If it is impossible to purchase material for staves the length of 

 which shall be equal to the desired depth of the silo then shorter 

 staves may be used and set up according to the method hereafter 

 described. The staves should be surfaced on the inside so that 

 a smooth face ma}" be presented which will facilitate the set- 

 tling of the silage. Whether the outside of the staves shall be 

 planed is a matter of taste, but if hemlock is used the handling 

 of the staves will be found much easier if both sides are planed. 



Setting up the silo. — There are several methods of procedure 

 which may be followed in setting up the silo. Fig. 77 shows a 

 cross section of one method of construction. The posts (a, a, a, a,) 

 should be of 6 x 6 material and run the entire length of the silo. 

 These should be first set up vertically and stayed securely in place 

 and then they may be used as part of the scaffolding, they will also 

 serve to give rigidity to the staves as the work of setting up pro- 

 gresses, and when the roof is put on, the plates which support the 

 roof may be laid on these posts. The scaffolding ma}' be con- 

 structed by setting up 2x4 scantling in the positions shown in 



