CHAP. vn. SILAGE PRESSES. 



provided the air is excluded by means of pressure, so that open-air 

 silage - stacks are becoming very much used, and are likely to increase 

 in popularity. At first, pressure was applied in the silo by means 

 of dead weights, from 75 11 >. to 200 11). to the square foot being 

 considered necessary, but mechanical aids were soon forthcoming to 

 save labour, such as Stock's press and others still in use. It is chiefly 

 through the open-air methods that ensilage is likely to become even 

 more popular than it is; but we give an illustration of a very good 

 method of applying pressure in a silo, which is equally applicable to 

 stacks. 



Fig. 319 represents the section of silo and the means by which 



Fig. 320. Wilson's Furcated Hydraulic Jacks as applied to Silage Stacks. 



Mr. Christopher W. Wilson's Furcated Hydraulic Jacks are applied 

 to silos. T represents the side walls; G, the compressing beams; 

 B, compressing bars ; J, hydraulic jacks ; (', furcated claw ; p, steel pin. 

 The compressing bars B pass through a concrete foundation, and are 

 made fast by a large iron washer and cotter. These bars should be 

 placed about 6 ft. apart, the first pair 18 in. from the end walls : thus, 

 if the silo is 15 ft. long, three pairs of bars will be required; if 27 ft., 

 five pairs ; and so on. 



Fig. 320 represents Wilson's Furcated Hydraulic Jacks at work on a 

 silage stack. After the foregoing description of its application in silos 

 there is no need to give further explanation. 



Johnson's Ratchet-Drum Press (fig. 321) is one of the best-known 



