Concrete Silos 167 



While a sample silo of this kind costs a little money, 

 where a favorable location can be secured it would 

 seem to be a very valuable advertising asset ; and espe- 

 cially would this be true in thinly populated districts, 

 where a contractor, located in a central market town, 

 can bring to his office men whom he would otherwise 

 have to go many miles to reach. 



Sample silos of a permanent nature are located on 

 the grounds of many of the state fairs, while tempo- 

 rary sample sections are frequently put on display at 

 various expositions. These are usually put up by the 

 promoters of the various systems of construction, and 

 they serve the double purpose of stimulating a demand 

 for silos and of reaching contractors and interesting 

 them in this class of construction. 



Some of the more progressive manufacturers have 

 well devised campaigns which are put into effect for 

 the benefit of contractors who buy their outfits. In 

 addition to furnishing him with suitable printed mat- 

 ter, albums of photographs, etc., each contractor is 

 requested to send in to the company the names of farm- 

 ers in his locality who should own silos not a miscel- 

 laneous list of names, but a list which is carefully se- 

 lected and not too large to have devoted to it some 

 personal work on the part of the contractor himself. 

 To these people the manufacturer sends out a letter 

 setting forth the advantages of concrete silos in a brief 

 way and calling attention to the fact that the local 

 contractor is now prepared to build such a silo for 

 them. These letters are followed up at suitable inter- 

 vals by letters sent out by the contractor, but the copy 

 for which is supplied by the manufacturer ; and in the 

 mean time it is expected that the contractor is doing 

 more or less personal work with these people, at least 



