752 



THE FARMERS HANDBOOK. 



The dimensions of the proposed stack must first be estimated, after 

 which a row oi bush poles is erected along each side of the selected site, as 

 shown in Fig. 6. Great weight of timber or strength of framework is not 

 absolutely essential, as the pressure is mainly downwards ; and as the 

 stack settles it contracts from the framework, which, if necessary, can 

 ultimately be removed. The length of the poles is, of course, fixed by the 

 height to which it is proposed to stack, bat their diameter should be about 

 3 to 4 inches at their small end. The large ends should be inserted 30 to 36 

 inches into the ground, and the tops braced by a light pole, to which the 

 uprights are wire twitched. The exact distance between the posts ia 

 determined by the length of the material to be stacked, well grown maize or 

 sorghum usually being safe with a space of 36 inches between uprights, and 

 2-1 inches being recommended if a shorter growth has to be treated. The 



Fig. 6. A Staek Silo suitable for Coastal Conditions. 



framework should be braced across the ends and the middle at the top, and 

 if possible, the poles carrying the centre brace should be sufficiently high to 

 allow ample head room for the stacker to work as the stacks near completion. 

 A pair of light poles should be erected at end of the framework, and a 

 light cross-piece provided to carry the heads of the end rows of bundles 

 during stacking (as explained later). 



The site selected for the stack should be a dry one, and it should be so 

 located as to be convenient to the crop that is to be ensiled, and also to th^ 

 point at which the material is to be fed to the stock. 



It is always advisable to ensile as large a quantity of material as possible 

 in one stack, as the larger the stack the smaller will be the percentage of 

 waste. For general purposes a framework of about 25 feet long x 15 feet 

 wide x 20 feet high is to be recommended. This space should hold enough 



