102 HOW TO BUILD A SILO. 



Connecting Round Silos with Barn. The location of 

 the silo with reference to other farm buildings has already 

 been discussed. The silo must be easy to get at from the 

 stable, and the silage, if possible, handled only once in 

 being placed before the stock. A round silo is most con- 

 veniently built just outside of the barn and connected with 

 this by means of covered passage way. The method of 

 joining silos to barns is illustrated in numerous pictures 

 of silos given in this book. (See Fig. 20.) 



Other Forms of Round Silos. 



The various types of round, wooden silos have been 

 described at some length in the preceding, because per- 

 haps ninety per cent, of farmers who expect to build a 

 silo will build one of this kind, either one of the more 

 substantial and expensive original or modified Wisconsin 

 silos, or a stave silo. In some cases it seems more de- 

 sirable to build a round silo of other material than wood, 

 viz., of either stone or brick. The general principles that 

 must be observed in constructing silos of these materials 

 are similar to those underlying the proper construction of 

 wooden silos. In order to strengthen the wall of the silo, 

 it is recommended to bed in the wall between the doors % 

 inch iron rods, bent to the curve of the silo circle, and 

 about 12 feet long. The two ends should be turned short 

 at right angles, so as to anchor better in the mortar. In 

 deep stone silos, which rise more than 18 feet above the 

 surface of the ground, it will be safest to strengthen the 

 wall between the two lower doors with iron tie rods, and, 

 if such a silo is built of boulders, it will be well to use 

 rods enough to have a complete line or hoop around the 

 silo about two feet above the ground, as represented in 

 Pig. 21. 



Too great care cannot be taken in making the part of 

 the wall below and near the ground solid, and especially 

 Its outer face, so that it will be strong where the greatest 

 strain will come. It is best also to dig the pit for the silo 

 large enough so as to have plenty of room outside of the 



