408 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



The Doors. — Doors for feeding should be arranged as in figure 4. 

 The door frames should be made of 4x6 stuff, matched together at 

 corners. A 1x4 board may be firmly nailed on the inside of this 

 frame to form a jamb for the door to fit against. To make the door 

 fit air tight, tack felt on the edge of this jamb. Arrange to have the 

 door flush with inside wall of the silo and have stones projecting into 

 the doorway enough to hold the pressure of the silage against the 

 door. Make the 4x6 door frames 20 by 30 inches inside, then nuke 

 the door of two thichnesses of matched flooring, running in opposite di- 

 rections and all screwed firmly together and to two firm 1x4 cross pieces, 

 which are on the outside. Through the center of the door, projecting 

 outward, put a ^ bolt, 10 inches long. This should have a large 

 v.asher on the inside. This bolt is to put through a 3x4 cross piece to 

 draw the door up snug to the jamb. The silage above will not press 

 it snug enough and it is unwise to nail it. This makes an exceptionally 

 good structure, though one of rather great first cost. 



CEMENT BLOCK SILO. 



Cement is getting to take the place of stone in most lines of con- 

 struction. There are a few cement block silos in this State. Mr. J. O. 

 Bailey, Kirksville, Adair coimty, Mo., has one 16 by 32 feet, of which 

 he says : 



"I made the blocks myself — size 8 by 8 by 24 inches, curved 

 enoiigh so that 25 of them would lay a complete circle, 16 feet in 

 diameter in the clear. Proportioned the cement and sand i to 5, /. e., 

 I part cement to 5 parts sand. It took about 50 yards of sand and 

 1-05 sacks of cement. I also laid a No. 9 wire between each layer of 

 blocks up twenty feet. I don't think now it is really necessary to use 

 the wire. 



'T had a mason to superintend making of the blocks, but any one 

 with average intelligence can make the blocks as good as a mason. 

 The main thing is to get sand and cement thoroughly mixed. It does 

 not want to be too wet, just moist enough to pack good in the mold. 

 After the blocks have been made half a day or so they should be wet 

 every day ; this keeps them from drying too fast and from cracking. 



"I hired a mason to lay up the blocks ; this is the only skillful work 

 about it, they have got to be laid up true. I did not cement inside of 

 silo. My silage spoiled some around the outside. This is due to lack 

 of moisture in the silage and also in the wall. I should have wet the 

 silage and wall as the silo was filled, but was not fixed to do this. 



"My silo is built 3^ feet below the surface and in the last 4 01 

 5 feet of silage there was not a forkful spoiled. 



