SILOS, ENSILAGE AND SILAGE. 63 



in favor of masonry or concrete for the walls of the 

 silo is that of durability. On the other hand, it must 

 be observed they are good conductors of heat (and frost), 

 and this in itself is an objection that more than counter- 

 balances an} 7 " apparent advantages that may otherwise be 

 claimed for them. 



From a careful study of the subject and a personal 

 examination of the silage in a large number of silos of 

 all kinds, I cannot escape the conclusion that, taking 

 everything into consideration, wood is the best material 

 that can be used in the construction of the silo. As a 

 nonconductor of heat, it is far better than masonry or 

 concrete, and in most localities, and perhaps as a gen- 

 eral rule, it is the cheapest. 



If reasonable precautions are taken in building, and 

 suitable preservatives, like crude petroleum, and roofing 

 pitch, or tar, are judiciously applied, which can be done 

 at a comparatively trifling expense, it cannot be objec- 

 tionable on the score of durability. The application of 

 preservatives will be considered under the head of 

 construction. 



FORM AND SIZE OF THE SILO. 



The quantity of fodder to be ensilaged, and the num- 

 ber of animals it is desirable to provide feei for, should 

 determine the size and general form and proportion of 

 the silo. On the start, it may be well to bear in mind 

 the fact that in feeding out ensilage, if a large surface 

 is exposed to the air for a number of days, it is liable to 

 be seeded with the germs of molds and putrefactive 

 bacteria, so that its value as cattle food may be materi- 

 ally diminished. 



To obviate this difficulty, it is a common practice to 

 cut down the silage in narrow slices, or strips, but in 

 this method the wall of silage remains exposed to atmos- 

 pheric contamination during the time the strip cut off 



