134 MISCELLANEOUS FARM SUBJECTS 



ground connections, one on each side of the building. The ground 

 ends of the vertical conductors, or wires, should be coiled in a spiral 

 having a diameter of about a foot. These spirals should be buried in 

 moist earth. 



Grounding of Fences. Wire fences should be grounded every 

 sixth post to protect live stock in the fields from lightning where 

 it strikes and runs along the fence wires. The method is simple 

 and inexpensive. All that is needed is to force a ^4-inch round 

 pointed rod down along the post to make a hole, and then put down 

 a piece of heavy galvanized wire, going down about thirty inches. 

 The wire should be long enough to reach the top of the post, and 

 should be fastened to the horizontal fence wires with staples. 



In conclusion, a word should be said about watching the light- 

 ning conductor system. Like everything else, it is apt to get out of 

 repair and, like everything eles, the sooner repaired the better. Do 

 not allow the points to become bent, and see that the grounds and 

 all connections are in good condition. (F. B. 367; Manitoba Ag. 

 Col. B. 4.) 



SILOS AND THEIR CONSTRUCTION.* 



The advantages which are obtained through the use of a silo 

 for preserving coarse fodders for the feeding of farm animals may 

 not be the same for each individual case ; but the points enumerated 

 herewith will probably hold in the majority of instances and cover 

 average conditions. 



1. The product of an acre of land can be stored in less space 

 by making it into silage than 'by curing in any other way. Hay 

 placed in the mow will take up about three times the space and corn 

 fodder about five times the space as the same quantity of food mate- 

 rials placed in the silo. 



2. An acre of corn can be placed in the silo at less cost than 

 the same quantity can be put up as cured fodder. The usual method 

 of cutting and shocking the crop, then husking, cribbing, shelling, 

 grinding the grain, storing and shredding the fodder and then put- 

 ting them together again is expensive and would seem to require 

 much labor mat might be obviated if the whole crop was secured 

 at one time as is done in putting it in the silo. The storage of the 

 corn crop in the silo makes it possible to clear the ground completely 

 and earlier and thus facilitate the preparation of the land for seed- 

 ing grass and fall grains. 



3. The use of the silo makes it possible to preserve roughage 

 so as to entail a minimum of loss of food and feeding value. It 

 supplements the pastures at such times as they are short. 



4. The use of silage enables the farmer to feed his animals 

 more economically than by the use of dry roughage. 



5. Crops can be secured in the silo during weather that could 

 not be availed of to make hay or cure fodder. 



6. More cattle can be kept on a given area of land when silage 

 is fed than when the roughage is cured for hay or fodder, or when 

 the land is used for pasture purposes. 



See page 33 for illustration. 



