238 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



smell and is not relished by cattle, while silage on dirt can be fed to 

 the last basketful. I am speaking from i6 years' experience when I 

 make this statement. Have fed from many cement bottoms, always with 

 the same result. 



A sill is not necessary, but I always use one. To make the sill, 

 take lo-inch width lumber i inch thick and cut in segments, of circle 

 of wall ; cut enough of these to make sill three or four inches thick ; 

 bed first in layer of mortar, then give a coat of gas tar, then lay on 

 another course, breaking joints ; nail down to lower layer. Continue 

 laying, tarring and nailing until desired thickness is reached. We are 

 now ready for the tarred staves or 2X4's. Fut you may wonder how 

 to make a start, what to use for fastening hoops and silo with, and 

 what to fasten staging to. To do all of this requires four timbers of 

 hard wood, 4 by 6 inches in size and as high as silo is to be. Before 

 we put up these timbers, or we may say frame of our silo, we bore 

 enough holes in these sticks to receive the hoops. These holes are in 

 pairs, and are 21-2 inches from what will be the inside edge of silo. 

 Holes are to be 3 inches apart, long way of timber. Now we will lay 

 off our circle, finding one-quarter of distance, where we stand one of 

 these sticks, the inside edge flush with inside wall of silo and becoming 

 part of wall, and secure it by toe-nailing to sill. Then measuring an- 

 other quarter distance set up another timber, continuing until we have 

 the four up. We at same time brace these pieces well with fence boards 

 or 2X4's, always keeping out of inside of silo. 



After we have braced well, we set 2x4 pieces on outside of silo, 

 opposite the 4x6 timbers, about 3 feet from them, or as wide as you wish 

 to build scaffolding. Nail lumber from these 2X4's to 4x6 pieces at in- 

 tervals of about 8 feet on which scaffold lumber is laid. A silo 25 feet 

 high will require three of these stagings. Now we are ready to build 

 or set up the staves. Three men, or boys, do first-rate. For this work 

 the necessary tools are three hammers and plenty of 6o-pennv wire 

 spikes ; 40-penny will do in case 2x4's are scant 4 inches, as they often 

 are. Now set np one of the 2X4's edge against a 4x6 piece and nail 

 about every 4 feet; the men on different stagings will attend to nailing 

 up to top of silo. Toe-nail the 2x4 stave to sill with lo-penny wire nails. 

 Continue setting up and nailing. If the upper half of staves do not want 

 to follow circle, strike on inside wall with heavy hammer, maul or back 

 of an ax, and the right curve will come. 



After setting all staves to last 3 or 4 feet (and this space should be 

 at place where doors are to be), make arrangements for doo'. s. The 

 doors, are only the walls of the silo cut out on bevel, and the pieces 



