448 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



The outside form was No. 18, galvanized sheet iron, 18 inches 

 wide and 54 feet long, riveted to an angle iron at one end and bolted 

 to an angle at the other. 



The only reinforcement used was one strand of barbed wire 

 each way and 18 inches apart. 



The concrete mixture was 1 part cement, 2 parts sand and 4 

 parts creek gravel. The gravel was ha^iled from a nearby branch 

 and was screened before using. The cement and sand was first 

 mixed dr^' and then the gravel wetted and added and the whole 

 wetted and thoroughly mixed. 



All work was done with my regular farm force and I have not 

 a detailed cost. The total cost, however, was about $600.00, of 

 which $160.00 was for cement and $40.00 for nails, forms, lumber, 

 etc. 



I have fed four crops out of this silo and it has proven efficient, 

 with but one fault to find with it. As the concrete becomes seasoned 

 and dried out, it absorbs some moisture from the ensilage where in 

 contact with it, causing slight loss at the outer side. This, I hope, 

 to overcome before refilling by the use of "Dehydratine," which is 

 reported to make concrete moisture or waterproof, and which may 

 keep it from absorbing moisture from the ensilage. 



Aside from the silo, I have foundation walls for a barn and 

 two f^at top culverts of concrete. The culverts are each an 8-foot 

 span and 12-foot roadway. The abutments are 18 inches thick at the 

 bottom and 12 inches at the top. The floors are 12 inches thick, re- 

 inforced near the bottom with second hand angle irons and American 

 fence wire. The concrete was proportioned the same as for the silo. 

 Both culverts have been in use for some time and are satisfactory. 

 Threshing machine outfits, engine and separator ^^|^■e crossed them 

 without apparently a jar or crack. 



In this locality, where we have to haul cement and lumber four- 

 teen miles, but with sand and gravel plentiful in the creeks and 

 branches (and free), the cost of concrete work is from l^/o to 2 

 times more than wooden structures. Experience teaches me, how- 

 ever, that with the longer life and satisfaction which concrete gives, 

 it is the cheapest for a long time use. 



ROBT. E. MITCHELL. 



AYoodlandville. ^lo. 



CIRCULAR WATER TANK. 



The circular water tank, shown in Fig. 39, is on the farm of H. 

 G. "Windsor, Boonville, Mo. The inside diameter is 12 feet. It is 



