THE SILO. 403 



more rapid now than at any previous time. This growth is a natural 

 one, the result of true worth. The progress in the past has been inter- 

 fered with to some extent by the extravagant claims of some overly 

 enthusiastic writers. Now, that more is known of the silo, enough can 

 be said without exaggerating. The silo in America will some day be 

 as common as the cow stable. 



WHERE TO PLACE THE SILO. 



In former years the silo was placed inside the barn, but because of 

 the odor that is constantly present with the silo it is now placed outside, 

 but close, within two or three feet, to the side of the stable, best at the 

 end of the main feeding alley. A door is cut through the wall at this 

 point and the stable floor extended to fit against the silo. A cheap chute 

 of boards is then built from the top of the silo to this extended floor. 

 Silage thrown into this chute will drop into the basket or cart at the 

 bottom, and will then be in the feeding alley, where wanted. When 

 done feeding, the scatterings should be cleaned up and the door closed, 

 to prevent a silage atmosphere in the stable. The outside silo usually 

 has the advantage also of being easier to fill. 



FORM TO BUILD. 



At first silos were made square or rectangular, because easier of 

 construction, but it was soon found that it was next to impossible to pre- 

 vent the silage in the corners, and along the sides, from spoiling. It 

 did not settle evenly or firmly. Some old silos made with corners have 

 been improved by cutting oflf the corners with concrete. A form was 

 made of bent wood, which was tacked to the walls each side of the cor- 

 ner, and concrete was slushed behind it. When this hardened the form 

 was brought up to its width and the process continued. At this day there 

 would be no excuse for building a silo with corners. A cyclindrical silo 

 causes no waste and will contain more silage for the amount of material 

 used in building than a square one. 



SIZE TO BUILD. 



The larger the silo the cheaper it will be per ton capacity, but if 

 too large for the number of stock to be fed, there will be a cntinual 

 waste from decay. Silage exposed to the air, in warm weather, will spoil 

 in 2 or 3 days, so stock will not eat it. When once the silo rs opened 

 it should be fed from continuously until empty. Build the silo small 

 enough, so that the animals fed will consume a quantity of silage each 

 day equal to a layer about two inches thick over the entire surface of the 



