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BETTER DAIRY FARMING 



acid serves to preserve the green material even as vinegar 

 preserves vegetables in pickling. This, in brief, is the process 

 which takes place in the silo. Thus, the green forage is pre- 

 served in nearly its original condition with less loss of nutrients 

 than when cured for hay, and a more palatable feed results. 



361. Silos. — A good silo should have air-tight walls, otherwise 

 the silage will spoil. A cylindrical silo is preferable to any other 

 shape because it provides the greatest storage capacity for a given 

 amount of building material and because it is easier to pack the 

 silage down in it thoroughly than where corners must be filled. 

 The silo should be deep because this means increased compactness 

 due to the pressure of the upper layers, and the more compact the 

 silage the less loss of dry matter through fermentation. This 

 pressure of the upper layers requires strong walls for the silo, 

 otherwise it will collapse. These walls should be smooth, other- 

 wise, as the silage settles, pockets will be left and here spoiling 



will occur due to contact with 

 air. 



362. Types of silos.— There 

 are several kinds of silos in 

 use. The stave construction 

 with iron hoops is the most 

 popular because of its low cost 

 and ease of building. The stave 

 silo is not as lasting as a more 

 permanent construction such 

 as concrete or brick, but if 

 well built of the right kind of 

 wood and not allowed to go 

 into disrepair it will last from 

 ten to twenty years. Since it 

 has been shown that on many 

 farms such a silo will pay for 

 itself in one year, it certainly 

 The Wood Wrapped Silo must be a very excellent in- 



A good type of modern silo. vestment for every farmer. 



