60 



THE ENSILAGE OF FODDERS. 



THE SILO. 



Conformatory to the act of the legislature, a silo was built upon 

 the farm for the preservation of green fodders. It is 30 feet long, 

 15 feet wide, outside measurement, and 15 feet deep. The walls 

 are 18 inches thick, the material ibeing sandstone rubble, laid in 

 strong mortar. It stands about half under ground with the end 

 joining the main barn. There are no doors or openings of any- 

 kind on the sides or bottom, which are well coated with Milwau- 

 kee cement, so as to be air and water tight. Over this silo or 

 cellar is a low frame building with the sides 6 feet in height and 

 11 feet to the peak of the roof. Inside of the superstructure is 

 a 3-foot wall of 2iach plank set on edge running all around it, 

 forming a continuation of the stone wall of the silo proper. By 

 means of this plank wall the silo can be filled with ensilage three 

 feet higher than the stone wall. Yet upon settling, all the ensi- 

 lage will be pressed within the silo proper. 



From this description it will be seen that the silo is simply a 

 stone cellar with cemented walls, or we may term it an immense 

 cistern. Over this cellar is placed a low building to keep out 

 rain. The silo is entered from the main barn floor, which is on a 

 level with the top of the stone wall, a doorway being cut in the 

 side of the barn for this purpose. A ladder is used to reach the 

 bottom of the silo. The ensilage is passed out through large 

 double doors at the end of the superstructure. 



The best location for the silo is of course on a side hill with 

 only an end exposed, if possible, and in this, near the bottom, to 

 have a door for taking out the ensilage. We unfortunately have 

 no sidehill near the farm buildings, and as the silo could be put 

 half under ground, it, seemed the cheapest and most convenient 

 to have no opening on the sides, but to lift the ensilage from the 

 bottom clear over the top of the wall by horse power. This pro- 

 cess will be de?cribed later. 



The stone for the silo was drawn from the quarry at odd times 

 by the farm teams, and this expense, together with the cost of ex- 

 cavation, are not included in the account of expenses. 



