ENSILAGE. 495 



tial manner. I afterwards graded up on this side to the top of the wall, making a level spot 

 to set an engine and en silage -cutter upon; also to drive upon to deposit the corn-fodder as it 

 came from the fields on durnp-carts. It took 13 days work of a stone-mason, 43| days work 

 of laborers, and 28^ days work for one horse, to excavate and build the stone wall and foun 

 dations for the silo. 



On the tenth day of August I commenced building the silo walls. These are 15 inches 

 thick, built of concrete in the following manner: 



First, 3X4 joists are set up at each of the angles, and also at intervals of about eight 

 feet on each side of the walls. These scantling are placed eight inches apart, spruce plank 

 12 inches wide and 1 inches thick, are set up on the inside of the scantling, which leaves 15 

 inches between the planks as the thickness of the walls. 



We are now ready to commence building the silo walls. The concrete is made by mix 

 ing one barrel of Newark, Rosendale, or Akron cement, with three barrels of plastering sand 

 and four barrels of clean gravel. This is thoroughly mixed together while dry. It is then 

 wet and thoroughly mixed again, making a very thin mortar. 



About three inches in depth of this mixture is put in between the planks; then stone of 

 all sizes and shapes are packed and bedded in this layer of concrete, after which another 

 layer of concrete is poured in on top of this layer of stones, and the operation is repeated 

 until the space between the planks all round each silo is filled; then the planks are raised 

 about ten inches, and the space filled with concrete and stones as before, until the walls are 

 at the desired height. The best way is to have a sufficient number of hands to just raise the 

 wall the width of the plank each day. Time was pressing with me, however, and I some 

 times raised the plank two and three times in one day, the concrete setting so that I was 

 able to do so safely. But I do not recommend this haste, as the walls will not be as smooth 

 as they would be if the cement had all night to set in before the planks were raised. A 

 4x12 sill was bedded on the wall in the last layer of concrete. This sill was made of 2x12 

 inch spruce plank nailed together. Upon these sills a building was placed with posts five 

 feet high, the beams on the top of these posts being thoroughly braced to the posts, thus 

 firmly tying the whole structure together. 



In sections of the country where clean sand, gravel, or stone is not easily obtained, silo 

 walls may be constructed of brick in the usual manner of brick buildings. To put up the 

 concrete walls and bed the sills, together with grading the upper side, where the cutting of 

 the fodder is done, took of the foreman 28^- days; work of laborers, 149 days, and 34 days 

 work of one horse. Butting up the frame to hold the plank, took two carpenters two days. 

 It required 124 barrels of cement, costing $1.25 per barrel at Lowell. 



The teaming of the cement and lumber is included in the above account of horses and 

 laborers. My silos (capacity about 800,000 pounds) cost me about $500. In other words, 

 silos will cost about a dollar and a quarter for each ton s capacity. Large ones will cost less, 

 small ones more. Silos may be built of stone pointed with content mortar, and plastered on 

 the inside, or of brick, or concrete. &quot;Whichever material is the cheapest and most conven 

 ient in any locality is the best to use there. Brick will cost more than the concrete. Con 

 crete walls cost about ten cents per cubic foot. As a general rule, silos should be built rect 

 angular in form, the width being about one-third the length, and the height about two-fifths 

 of the length, and, if possible, should be sunk about one-half below the surface of the 

 ground. 



If there is a side-hill near the stables, so that the surface of the earth will come nearly 

 to the top of the walls at one end of the silos, it will be found very convenient in filling the 

 silos, in weighing the ensilage, and in removing the weights as it is fed out. 



These walls must be built sufficiently strong to withstand, when empty, the pressure of 

 the earth inward, as well as the pressure outward, caused by the settling of the ensilage under 

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