farmers' institutes. 237 



make it as tight as ever. While the silo has not hot water, it has some- 

 thing- just as effective — silage, which is 80 per cent, water or sap, and 

 heats up to 160 degrees. Every crack is shut tight. 



To build a stave silo, first decide on size of silo, then get the ma- 

 terial most abundant in your locality. Any lumber that will not waip 

 is suitable. Have it dry if possible. If your silo is to be above 20 feet 

 in height, buy lumber of two lengths ; for a 24-foot building get 14 and 10- 

 foot stuff, for a 26-foot silo, 12 and 14-foot lengths. Get your stuff 

 on the ground during some dry, hot days, laying it closely, like a floor. 

 Then take an old broom or a whitewash brush and a bucket of coal tar 

 (this is called gas tar and can be bought for 3 or 4 cents per gallon at gas 

 works) and paint the lumber, not scrimping the amount. Let lay a day 

 or so and then turn up another face of the lumber and again give it the 

 gas tar paint. Continue until all sides and edges are painted. Gas 

 tar is the best preservative of silo walls yet found, and I may add that 

 for rough work, such as farm gates, corn cribs and board roofs, it is 

 not equaled by many of our paints. If tar is too thick to spread easily, 

 thin with gasoline, remedying any trouble of this character. 



While our lumber is drying we will put in silo foundation. We must 

 decide where to build, and the best rule is to build just as near the 

 animals' mouths as possible, to save work when feeding; at gable end 

 of barn or shed is the best place. To lay foundation, drive a peg in 

 center of ground selected for foundation ; take a fence board, bore a 

 hole in end, slip over peg, then at half of distance of diameter of silo, 

 slip a pin or bolt that will mark ground as board is moved around. 

 After this mark is made, set pin out as far as width of foundation trench 

 is to be, which is about 16 or 18 inches. Now -dig trench 18 to 20 

 inches deep ; then fill up within 6 inches of top with small rocks, brick- 

 bats or very coarse gravel. Over this pour thin cement. After this 

 part of foundation is complete start wall 6 inches from outside of trench 

 leaving a 6-inch jog. That jog is to fool any rat that may wish to 

 explore contents of silo. He will dig down to the concrete work and 

 then stop, not knowing enough to follow the 6-inch step to outside of 

 concrete. It is better to finish the narrower wall with flat rock or brick. 

 Build up 8 or 10 inches above level ground. The dirt should then be 

 thrown up against wall on outside, even with top of wall to turn water 

 from building. 



The inside circle or silo bottom should be of dirt only. Many peo- 

 ple put down costly cement floors, only to find that a large amount of 

 silage is spoiled each year. We do not know the cause, but we know 

 that the last foot or 8 inches of silage on cement has a very offensive 



