4^4 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo June, 191 i.. 



Sn.o Elevator. — A.H.D. doubts whether a 4 B.H.P. oil engine will drive - 

 a silo elevator as well as a chaffrntter. He proposes to put up a 12-feet silo, 6 feet: 

 in the ground, and to put cutter on jilatform 6 feet high, doing away with the 

 necessity for elevator. 



Answer. — The additional work caused by the use of an elevator is very 

 little, probably not more than ^ h.p. A 4 B.H.P. engine is, however, probably 

 fully loaded driving a three-knife chaffcutter. There is no objection to the • 

 proposed method of construction of silo, provided the inner face is continuously 

 smooth and has no break at ground level preventing silage settling. 



Filling Silo. — A.H.D. asks what would be the capacity of a silo 12 feet 

 high and 15 feet diameter. He also desires to know what weight should be put 

 on it when filled, and whether it should be filled again after settling. 



An.<!'!ver. — The capacity would be about 40 tons of 50 cubic feet. To weight 

 the silo, with its comparatively low height, at least 4 tons in stones, logs, or sand-- 

 bags should be applied on top of a well soaked layer 12 inches thick of chaffed 

 straw or other useless material. If well trampled while filling, settling should be 

 trifling. 



Concrete and Brick Floors. — A.H.D. asks for directions to construct- 

 concrete and brick floors. 



Anstver. — The ground should be excavated as necessary and levelled to the 

 required grade ; if filling is used this must be thoroughly rammed after formation 

 and stand some time before concrete is placed on it. On this surface lay 2 inches, 

 of sand, on which, when well wetted, the concrete is to be laid to a depth of. 

 5 inches. The concrete is to be composed of — 



1 part cement or i part cement, 



2 ,, clean coarse sand, 3 ,, sand, 



2 ,, screenings, 5 ,, 2 inch metal. 



3 ,, 2 inch metal ; 



The concrete should be laid in strips 6 feet wide and 8 feet in length or ' 

 similar suitable dimension, the sections being separated by battens which are 

 afterwards removed and spaces filled with cement mortar composed of i part 

 cement to 3 parts sand. Before concrete is set, the face of concrete should be 

 rendered 5 inch thick with cement mortar composed of i part cement and 2 or 3 

 parts of sand. The rendering may be omitted for cow shed floors, care being;' 

 taken in ramming to bring up the compo. (sand and cement) well through the metal 

 so as to make a fairly smooth surface. 



All mortar and concrete should be mixed on a wood platform and proportions 

 carefully gauged with a box. The concrete should be turned over twice dry and 

 then water added through a rose while being again turned over twice. Concrete 

 should be mixed as near final position as possible and must be used at once; 

 under no circumstances is it to be allowed to stand after being mixed. Care 

 should be taken in ramming not to keep it up longer than the commencement of 

 setting. Any old work, including that finished the previous day, must be well 

 wetted and picked over to form a bond before adding fresh cement. 



If a brick floor is used, the bricks must be hard, well burnt bricks. Bricks 

 to be laid on edge or flat on i^ inch bed of sand and grouted with cement mortar 

 composed of i part cement and 2 parts sand. The bricks may be laid 3 inch to 

 5 inch apart. 



It may be roughly reckoned that one barrel of cement will make i cubic 

 yard of concrete, consequently it will give 9 square yards of flooring at 4 inches 

 thick, 7^ at 5 inches, and 6 at 6 inches thick. For grouting, much depends on 

 the spacing, depth of filling, &c., but one barrel should cover 10 to 20 square yards 

 or even more. 



W.\rts on Muzzle. — W.E.H. states that he has a two-year-old filly whose 

 lips are covered with warts. 



Answer. — The warts on your fillys muzzle are a common aff'ection of young 

 horses, and usually disappear of their own accord. The large ones may be snipped 

 ofl^ with scissors ; smearing the parts with castor oil will hasten recovery. 



Feeding Sow with Litter. — J.D.M. asks what is the best food for sow with 

 litter. He has been feeding on pollard and milk with a little half-ripe maize, 

 but this appears to scour them. 



Answer. — After farrowing, the sow should be immediately given half a 

 teacupful of castor oil in warm milk. .Then feed with crushed wheat or barley 

 boiled or scalded and mixed with milk. After a week has elapsed some green.> 

 maize or other fodder, such as rape or lucerne, may be given. Keep charcoal 

 and rock salt in pen. Provide a good warm bed of short straw. 



