66 HOW TO BUILD A SILO. 



A Modification of the Stave Silo. 



Stave silos are admittedly cheap and readily put up, but 

 unless hoops are tightened as they dry out, they may be easily 

 blown into a shapeless mass in case of a heavy gale. The 

 modification of the stave silo described in the following has the 

 advantage of being more rigid and substantial; it has been put 

 up in a number of places in the East, and has apparently given 

 good satisfaction for several years at least. In building this 

 silo some good tough oak plank two inches thick and of any 

 convenient length are procured. Rock elm will do, although 

 not as good as oak. The planks are sawed into strips half an 

 inch thick. . The foundation of the silo is made of concrete, and 

 a little larger than the outside diameter of the silo. A stake 

 is set in the center and on this a piece is nailed, just long enough 

 to act as a guide in setting scantling when erecting sides. For 

 sides I%x4-inch hemlock of any desired length is used. These 

 are set up on the circumference of the silo, perpendicular to the 

 bottom, 3 feet and 7 feet up nail on the outside one of the half- 

 inch strips mentioned before, being sure to keep the circle 

 regular. This will keep upright pieces in place until the circle 

 is completed. On each hoop so started other half-inch pieces 

 are nailed, lapping them in different places until each hoop is 

 three inches thick. Other hoops are now put on in the same 

 manner, placing them one foot apart at bottom up to the 

 three-foot hoop, 16 inches apart from three to the 7-foot 

 hoop, then increasing the distance between each hoop two inches, 

 until they are 30 inches apart, at which distance they should 

 be kept. If staves are to be spliced it should* be done on the 

 hoop. When this is done, a silo will be made of I^x4-inch, 

 thoroughly hooped with wooden hoops 2x3 inches. 



The inside may be covered with the best quality of felt, 

 well tacked to the staves, on which a thick coat of thick coal 

 tar is spread; over this another thickness of felt is put while the 

 tar coating is still green. The silo is lined with %-inch Georgia 

 pine ceiling, nailing thoroughly and the lining coated with two 

 coats of coal tar, putting on the first one quite thin, but using 

 all the wood will take in, and for a second coat tar as thick 

 as can be spread. Give plenty of time to dry before filling. 



The outside of the silo may be boarded up with vertical 



