76 Colcord's System of 



FAULTY SILOS AND FAULTY MANIPU- 

 LATIONS. 



It is necessary to have tight silos, with 

 smooth, perpendicular walls, the opposite walls 

 to be equally distant from each other, in all 

 places, in order to preserve green forage per- 

 fectly. It is also necessary that the walls 

 should be strong enough to stand heavy press- 

 ure ; also that they should remain tight while 

 the forage remains enclosed in them, and not 

 absorb the juice from the forage. These are 

 the ends to be sought in building a good silo ; 

 and it is of comparatively small importance 

 how they are made or of what material, if 

 these ends are attained. I seldom visit a silo 

 and find these conditions fulfilled. 



If any one will examine his silo carefully, 

 with a good, long, straight edge, and measure 

 the distance carefully between the opposite 

 walls with a rod just long enough to touch 

 each end at the narrowest place, and have 

 every covering plank cut i inch shorter than 

 his rod, he will realize, the importance of the 

 conditions above stated, and give attention 

 to them, because the cover cannot be pressed 

 down evenly if it binds anywhere upon the 



