IRON HOOPS FOR SILOS. 93 



which would prevent the staves from closing up as they 

 swell, and allow air to enter. To hold hoops and staves 

 in place during the summer when the silo is empty, staples 

 should be driven over the hoops into the staves. If a suf- 

 ficient number of staples are used they will prevent the 

 sagging or dropping down of the hoops, and they will 

 hold the staves securely in place. 



The hoops should be watched very closely for a few 

 days after the silo is filled. If the strain becomes quite 

 intense the nuts should be slightly loosened. If during 

 the summer when the silo is empty and the staves thor- 

 oughly dry the hoops are tightened so that the staves 

 are drawn closely together when the silo is filled and the 

 wood absorbs moisture and begins to swell, the hoops 

 must be eased somewhat to allow for the expansion. 



The doors, 2 feet wide by 2^ feet high, should be 

 located where convenience in feeding dictates. The lower 

 door should be between the second and third hoops at 

 the bottom, and other doors will usually be needed in every 

 second space between there and the top, except that no 

 door will be needed in the top space, as the silage when 

 settled will be sufficiently low to enable it to be taken out 

 at the door in the space below. Plans should be made 

 for the doors at the time the staves are set. When the 

 place is reached where it is desired to have the doors, a 

 saw should be started in the edge of the stave at the. points 

 where the top and bottom of the doors are to come. The 

 saw should be inserted so that the door can be sawed out 

 on a bevel, making the opening larger on the inside of the 

 silo. (See Fig. 13). This will enable the door to be re- 

 moved and put in place only from the inside, and when set 

 in place and pressed down with silage the harder the pres- 

 sure the tighter will the door fit. After the silo is set up 

 and the hoops have been put on and tightened the cutting 

 out of the doors may be completed. Before doing this, 

 cleats 2 inches by 3 inches and in length equal to the 

 width of the door, should be made which will conform to 

 the circular shape of the silo. One of these cleats should 



