SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETING. 2^,^ 



FAILURES OE SIEOS. 



If the essentials of a good silo are observed in its construc- 

 tion, there will be but few failures. However, some silos have 

 failed, and these have been object lessons to us. With a stave 

 silo, sometimes the staves shrink, the hoops loosen, and unless 

 tightened before filling, the cracks may be large enough so that 

 air gets into the silage and allows it to spoil. 



Unanchored silos are likely to blow over when empty if the 

 hoops are not well tightened. Occasionally a silo bursts. This 

 may be due to an excessive swelling of staves, to lack of rein- 

 forcement, or an accumulation of juice from immature silage. 

 If crops containing a large amount of juice — as refuse from a 

 pea cannery — are to be used for silage, a drain should be pro- 

 vided in the bottom of the silo to remove excessive moisture. 



To prevent bursting, extra reinforcement should be provided 

 in building a concrete silo, or in case of the stave silo, hoops 

 should be larger or put nearer together. A silo may be anchored 

 by setting pins in the concrete when the foundation is made. 

 These may be straight and have the staves set upon th^m, or 

 have rings in the upper end and the staves bolted to them. 



Guys may be attached from the top of the silo to the ground. 

 Concrete silos have vertical reinforcement set in the founda- 

 tion. 



Some double-walled wooden silos have lasted but a short 

 time because insufiicient ventilation was provided between the 

 walls to allow them to dry out during the summer. 



IvOCATlON. 



Advantages of Inside Silo. — Silos are sometimes put inside 

 of barns on account of the following advantages: 



1. Some men desire to build a sc[uare silo and find that they 

 can 'do so by the use of the timbers of a joint or band in the 

 barn to support the walls. 



2. A silo inside the barn should freeze less than one outside. 



3. A cheaply-made silo may last longer if it is inside and 

 not exposed to the weather. 



4. When the silo is placed in the center of the barn there 

 is less distance to move the feed. 



