THE IRRIGATION AGK 



57 



SILO ON A SMALL FARM. 



Having a small farm, and consequently 

 a small dairy, yet believing that a silo is a 

 necessary adjunct of a dairy farm, 'I 

 studied to see how I could build econom- 

 ically. My barn where my cows are kept, 

 is about 30x40 feet with the cow stable on 

 the east end, a driveway floor through the 

 center, and a bay in the northwest corner. 

 It was here that I decided to build my silo. 

 After tearing out the floor, etc., I exca- 

 vated four feet beJow the sills. The posts 

 of the barn are fourteen feet. This gave 

 a chance fora silo eighteen feet deep. Its 

 surface is 15 1 2x18 1-2 feet. Studding 

 were set up where needed to strengthen 

 the walls and crosspieces were nailed to 

 these, about three feet apart near the floor 

 and further apart near the top. Hemlock 

 boards were nailed up and down to these 

 and then double boarded with spruce, 

 taking care to break joints, but using no 

 paper between. Neither were any of the 

 boards planed. The floor of the silo was 

 cemented. A door was left next to the 

 feeding or driveway floor. This was 

 closed by a single thickness of matched 

 boards placed 'horizontally across the 

 opening as fast as filled and taken out as 

 the ensilage was fed. The lumber was 

 cut on the farm and much of the work, 

 including getting the lumber to the mill, 

 I did myself. The actual money paid out 

 would not exceed $25. 



The silo was built in 1896 and has been 

 filled four times; in 1896 and 1897 it was 

 filled with cut silage. This spoiled some 

 around the edges near the top and a little 

 in the corners, but I do not think the 

 spoiled material was equal to the interest 

 on the extra cost of a more expensive silo. 

 It is a cold place and the silage freezes 

 quite badly, sometimes as much as eight 

 or ten inches being frozen all around the 

 sides. In the spring, as fast as this thaws, 

 it is fed. I have never seen any differ- 

 ence in the feeding value of that which 

 had been frozen as compared with that 



which had not. In 1898 I was unable to 

 secure a cutter, and against my better 

 judgment I filled the silo with uncut corn. 

 The corn was mostly Sanford, and a very 

 heavy growth, many stalks being ten feet 

 long and over and heavily cured. This 

 made it heavy to handle and very difficult 

 to pack in the silo. Much care was taken 

 in packing. Beginning at one end the 

 butts were placed next the outside and a 

 layer placed across the end; then begin- 

 ning another layer the butts were placed 

 two feet from the end and so on. shingle 

 fashion, the entire length of silo. The 

 tops of the last layer were doubled over 

 and a bundle laid crosswise. Then a new 

 layer was begun on this end, and so on 

 until done, but in spite of my care the sil- 

 age spoiled badly and was very hard to 

 take out. Not only this but the cows do 

 not eat it as readily as they do the cut 

 ensilage, so there is considerable waste in 

 this way. From my experience I should 

 say it is doubtful economy to fill a silo 

 with whole corn to save the cost of a cut- 

 ter. The principal silage crop in Vermont 

 is corn. The most common variety is the 

 Sanford, a large flint sort that in the state 

 rarely matures (;he seed being obtained 

 from the southern part of the state and 

 Massachusetts), but it generally reaches 

 the roasting stage, and this is usually con- 

 sidered the proper condition for silage. 

 As it contains a good proportion of ears it 

 makes capital silage. I believe the silo is, 

 the proper place for the entire corn plant. 

 I believe there are few dairy farms that 

 can afford to be without a silo. Also that 

 an expensive silo is not necessary. But 

 good silage and clover hay are, in my 

 judgment, the cheapest feeds for the dairy 

 farmer. If it were practicable I would 

 not cover the silo at all, but begin feeding 

 as soon as it was filled I have done this 

 way and like it very much, but have never 

 been able to cover it so as to prevent there 

 being more or les spoiled silage. I usu- 

 ally feed about forty pounds per cow daily 



