94 



SILOS OTHER THAN WOOD. 



preferable that the face of the block be both richer and wetter 

 than the body of the block; also, if the face of the block be trow- 

 eled it makes a block which will not absorb moisture. Whenever 

 it is not possible to make or obtain blocks of this nature the in- 

 side of the silo should be plastered after the walls are laid. If 

 the expense of plastering is too great, the walls can be washed 

 or painted with a mixture of one part cement and one part fine 

 screened sand. This will take the place of plastering as far 

 as sealing the pores in the blocks is concerned, but does not 

 leave the wall as smooth as plaster. 



"The solid block, such as is shown by 'a,' Figure 55, is ad- 

 visable only when a machine has to be made and one cannot 

 be constructed which will make the hollow blocks. This solid 

 block is more quickly made than the others, but requires more 

 material, is heavier and harder to handle, and conducts heat 

 and cold more readily." 



The two-piece blocks such as shown by "b," Figure 55, are 

 made to lay up in the silo wall so that the leg of one in the inside 

 wall will overlap the leg of one in the outside wall but in the 



Fig. 36. Showing how the two-piece cement block 

 is laid in the wall and the door frame. 



course above it. Figure 56 shows that these blocks make nearly 

 a perfect dead-air space so that the silage is less apt to freeze, 

 as heat will not be transferred back and forth through the walls 

 as readily. Blocks made in the above manner can have a 

 wetter and richer mixture in the face than in the back and 

 the face can also be troweled. 



