10 INTRODUCTORY. 



soon as he has had some experience with silage and finds out how 

 his stock likes it, and how well they do on it. 



The life of the silo should always be carefully considered in 

 connection with its initial cost. A silo might be built for $150 

 which would last ten years, the cost exclusive of upkeep being $15 

 a year. With the use of better materials or construction on the 

 same size silo its life might be increased to twenty years at an 

 additional outlay of perhaps $50, which it will be readily seen is 

 much cheaper per year. Quality usually joes hand in hand with 

 price and the farmer who can afford it should not make the mis- 

 take of building anything but the best if he wishes to economize 

 to greatest advantage. 



Modern practice has proved that no man need say "I cannot 

 afford a silo," because any farmer who is at all handy with ham- 

 mer and saw can provide a silo large enough for moderate re- 

 quirements with very little actual outlay of money, and this same 

 built-at-home silo will earn for its owner money to build a better 

 one and enlarge his herd. Directions for building several .kinds 

 of such silos are given in the following pages. It must not be 

 expected that they will last as long or will prove as economical 

 in the long run as more substantially-built factory-made silos, 

 still they give excellent service until the farmer can afford to 

 put up a structure of better quality. Experience in making and 

 feeding silage will be gained at much less cost by using a good 

 silo in the beginning. 



We mention this fact here to show farmers who may be con- 

 sidering the matter of building a silo, or who may be inclined to 

 think that the silo is an expensive luxury, only for rich farmers, 

 that the cost of a silo need not debar them from the advantages 

 of having one on their farm, and thus secure a uniform succulent 

 feed for their stock through the whole winter. Farmers who have 

 not as yet informed themselves in regard to the value of the 

 silo and silage on dairy or stock farms ,are respectfully asked 

 to read carefully the following statements of the advantages of 

 the silo system over other methods of preserving green forage 

 for winter or summer feeding. 



It has been said that "Whoever makes two blades of grass grow 

 where but one grew before is a benefactor to mankind." A silo 

 makes it possible to keep two cows where but one was kept be- 

 fore, and who would not gladly double his income? Does not this 

 interest you? 



