66 SILOS, ENSILAGE AKD SILAGE. 



a few simple propositions will be of material assistance 

 in the planning and construction of a silo. 



In the interests of a judicious economy the silo should 

 be so placed that it can be conveniently filled, and as 

 conveniently emptied, without any unnecessary hand 

 labor in the transportation or handling of the silage. 



As the filling of the silo is almost entirely done by 

 machinery, under proper management, the last-men- 

 tioned consideration should have the most weight in 

 determining the plan and location of the silo. It will 

 cost less to elevate the cut fodder to the top of a silo 

 above ground, by a carrier attached to the cutter, at the 

 time of filling, than to raise it by hand a less distance, 

 from the pit to the level of the feeding floor, as the 

 silage is fed out, even if a windlass or pulley is used to 

 save manual labor. As large a proportion of the work 

 as possible should be done with a machine, and hand 

 labor should be economized as far as practicable. In 

 the application of this principle, there can be no doubt 

 that the bottom of the silo should be on the same level 

 with the feeding floor, and continuous with it, so that 

 a truck can be used to distribute the silage with the 

 least expenditure of hand labor. The silo may be an 

 independent structure or annex to the barn, in immedi- 

 ate and convenient proximity to the stables, or it may 

 be built inside the barn, in which case a roof would not 

 be needed. If the stable accommodations are limited, 

 the latter plan would, however, be of questionable econ- 

 omy. If the barn is so situated that the silo must be 

 built in the side of a sloping bank to secure convenience 

 of access from the stables, three plans of construction 

 may be suggested : 1st, the lower part of the silo may 

 be of masonry, where it is in immediate contact with 

 the bank ; or 2d, a retaining wall of masonry may be 

 built as a protection to the walls of the silo, which may 

 be built of wood inside of, but not in connection with it ; 



