SEED IMPROVEAIENT MEETING. 227 



and as detailed information can be obtained from the cement 

 companies concerning the last two we will devote the major 

 portion of the paper to stave silos. 



Before building, a man should know how large a silo he 

 needs. Further, a consideration of the desired essentials of a 

 silo will help him determine the material. 



THE SIZE TO BUILD. 



The capacity and proportions of a silo are governed by these 

 five factors : 



1. Number of cows to be fed. 



2. Number of days fed. 



3. Number of pounds silage fed per animal per day. 



4. Depth necessary to feed each day to prevent spoiling. 



5. Effect of additional depth on capacity. 



The first factor needs no comment. Many of the Maine 

 dairymen plan to feed silage from their winter silo for eight 

 months; that is, from the middle of September to the middle of 

 May, or 240 days. To each cow thirty or forty pounds of silage 

 are fed each day. To prevent spoiling, about two inches should 

 be fed oft' the top each day. 



A deep silo holds a proportionally greater amount than one 

 of less depth. For example, a silo 20 feet high, 14 feet in 

 diameter, holds 51 tons, while a 30- foot silo of the same diame- 

 ter holds 91 tons. This is a gain of 40 for the additional 

 10 feet, while the first depth averaged only 25 1-2 tons per 10 

 feet. 



To answer the question of size, I refer you to the following 

 table taken from publications on silage: 



