5Qa DAIRY FARMING 



The 2 by 4 studding are set 12 inches apart on a cir- 

 cular foundation, and the l / 2 inch sheeting is nailed on 

 horizontally as shown in the illustration. The inside, 

 including the floor, is cemented, using two parts of sand 

 to one of cement. 



Ventilation of the wall is necessary to preserve the silo. 

 This is secured by leaving a small open space at the top 

 on the inside between the lining and the plate, and boring 

 holes near the sill through the outside sheeting, covering 

 them with wire gauze to keep rats and mice out. 



Any roof that sheds water is suitable for a silo, as the 

 top need not and should not be tight. In fact, it is well 

 to have a small opening in the roof to provide ventilation. 



For convenience the door of the silo should be con- 

 tinuous, extending from top to bottom. Short pieces of 

 matched planks are commonly used for a continuous door. 

 These are put in one by one as the filling of the silo pro- 

 gresses ; the ends being, however, first covered with a 

 paste of clayey mud to assist in rendering the door air- 

 tight. Heavy building paper tacked on the inside of the 

 door will also help to exclude the air. The break or 

 weakness in the silo wall caused by the continuous door is 

 overcome by running iron rods horizontally across the 

 door at short intervals, fastening the ends to the studding 

 on either side of the door. 



Cutting the Corn. Corn for the silo should not be cut 

 until nearly mature. This is desirable for several rea- 

 sons. First, and most important, is the fact that corn at 

 maturity contains about five times as much dry matter as 

 it does at the tasseling stage. This rapid increase in 

 nutrients from the tasseling stage on is forcibly shown 

 by the following figures obtained at the New York 

 (Geneva) experiment station : 



