EIGHTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII. 279 



level. This foundation need not be an expensive affair, however, be- 

 cause it can be put in with common farm help. Two foundations were 

 put in in the following manner last year at the Iowa State College: 



Set a stake solidly at the point where it is desired that the center of 

 the silo will be. Tie a rope to the stake and measure out nine inches 

 greater than one-half the diameter that the silo is to be. Hold the rope 

 tight and mark out a circle around the stake. Shorten the rope eighteen 

 inches and mark out another circle in the same manner inside the first 

 one. 



These two circles mark the inside and outside of the foundation wall, 

 and by digging a trench straight down between them to the required 

 depth the form for a concrete foundation is provided. But to fill this 

 trench with concrete requires a great amount of cement, incurring great 

 expense, which may be overcome by gathering up the broken rock, stones 

 and old scraps of iron from off the farm and filling the trench half full. 

 Make a thin mixture of one part cement and six parts sand and gravel, 

 pour on top of the rocks and see that every crevice is filled. Sometimes 

 it will be necessary to dash a few pails of water in to make the cement 

 mixture find every opening. 



Finish filling the trench with rocks and cement as before, making the 

 top level with cement; and after setting for twenty- four hours there will 

 be a foundation that will stand for an indefinite length of time. Later 

 the inside can be dug out and the dish-shaped bottom of the silo put in, 

 but an experienced cement worker can put this in much smoother than 

 one who has never tried it before. 



In the past many crops have been considered for silage purposes, but 

 invariably it has been found that corn is far superior for the purpose. 

 Occasionally of a wet season a crop of clover that might otherwise be lost 

 may be saved by storing it in the form of silage. Again, it is oftentimes 

 advisable in filling the silo with corn to put in one load of clover or cow- 

 peas with two loads of green .corn, and in so doing a silage is made that 

 is not only palatable, but also of a quality that conforms more closely to 

 a balanced ration. On the whole, however, especially in the state of Iowa, 

 where corn is the principal crop raised, this product alone will be found 

 most satisfactory in making silage, for several reasons, the main one of 

 which is no doubt the fact that if the corn is not put into the silo, the 

 stalks, which represent a large percentage of the feeding value of the 

 corn, will be wasted, while clover, alfalfa, cowpeas, etc., which might be 

 used for silage, can be stored in a small barn or even in the stack, and 

 as some dry foods are necessary to be fed with silage the advantage of 

 storing these in dry form becomes apparent, because when supplied they 

 furnish both dry matter and protein to the ration — 'the two constituents 

 which are lacking in corn silage. 



Oftentimes I have been asked regarding the merits of green oats as a 

 product for the silo, but it should be remembered that no grass with a 

 hollow stem will make good silage because the air cannot be excluded, 

 and one of the secrets of making good silage is to exclude the air. 

 Sometimes it may be of advantage to drill corn for the specific purpose 

 of making silage, yet it is doubtful whether this should be followed as a 

 rule. It is mostly invariably the case on the Iowa farm that a portion of 



