FILLING THE SILO. 345 



onto the center of this table. As soon as it accumu- 

 lates sufficiently on the same it rolls down over the 

 outer edges, and is in consequence distributed over a 

 considerable proportion of the surface of the silo. 



Covering the Silage. Various methods have 

 been adopted of covering the silo to preserve the 

 silage on and near the surface. They include the fol- 

 lowing: i, Covering with old ha.y or straw in the 

 cut or uncut form to the depth of from one to several 

 feet. 2, Covering with some kind of cloth through 

 which the air does not easily penetrate, and then 

 placing over this a layer of hay or straw as men- 

 tioned above. 3, Covering with boards generally 

 laid over a covering of straw and then weighting the 

 boards with some heavy substance as stone or barrels 

 filled with earth. 4, Sowing some kind of grain 

 over the surface of the silage and then pouring or 

 sprinkling water over it copiously so as to cover the 

 mass with a dense growth of grain and grain roots. 



The first method furnishes a cheap covering so 

 far as material is concerned. Old hay fine in 

 character such as is found in fence corners where 

 blue grass has possession, makes a better covering 

 than hay coarse in character, or than straw, since it 

 lies more densely upon the silage. When either of 

 the two last named substances is used it ought to 

 be run through a cutting box. The tramping of the 

 covering should also be given careful attention. And 

 if a few buckets of water are at the same time thrown 

 over the mass, it will help to exclude the air more 

 perfectly. 



The second method will probably preserve more 

 silage than the first, but the covering thus provided 



