234 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



dies, is fastened to 

 the hook of the 

 tackle. This box, 

 empty or full, is 

 lowered and raised 

 at will. Two planks 

 are laid across the 

 center of the silo 

 just far enough 

 apart to permit the 

 box to go between 

 when raising or low- 

 ering. 



The box filled 

 with silage is hoisted 

 above the planks 

 several feet. Then 

 a truck is run direct- 

 ly under it. The 

 box is lowered onto 

 the truck, on which 

 it can be wheeled to 

 any place in the 

 barn. 



Another method 

 consists simply of 

 raising and lower- 

 ing, by hand, the 

 box by means of 

 block and tackle, 

 without the use of 

 truck. This method 

 is used in another 

 one of the state ex- 

 perimental pit silos. 



Still another method consists of fastening an 

 ordinary hay track and hay lift to the 2x6 in the top 

 part of the covering. The lift should be directly over 

 the center of the silo. The track may be extended so 

 as to carry the silage to any part of the barn. This 

 method is more ex- 

 pensive, and is not 

 necessary. 



If it is im- 

 possible to secure 

 about $40 with 

 which to purchase 

 the necessary ma- 

 terial for the above 

 described silo, do 

 not on this account 

 refrain from dig- 

 ging a pit silo. Dig 

 the hole in the 

 ground anyhow, 

 and fill it with 

 some green feed. 

 In many sections 

 of South Dakota 

 the subsoil is hard 

 and in some in- 

 stances s h a 1 e y. 

 Such ground will 

 stand for years 

 without caving. If 

 the wall is not plas- 



Fig. 3. Hoisting Apparatus to Take Silage Out of Silo. 



Fig. 4. Filling One of the Experimental Silos in Western South Dakota. All the Cuts 

 Used With This Article Are By Courtesy of the South Dakota Agricultural College. 



tered, a small 

 amount of silage on 

 the outside next to 

 the dirt will mold, 

 but compared to the 

 amount of good 

 feed obtained, this 

 is of little conse- 

 quence. If time 

 permits, dig it now. 

 If not now, then 

 plan to remove the 

 first few feet of dirt 

 in the fall before 

 frost, then dig at it 

 a little all winter 

 during spare time. 

 The following 

 spring the silo will 

 be completed and 

 ready to fill, either 

 with spring, sum- 

 mer or fall crops. 



There is but 

 slight danger from 

 poisonous gases in 

 pit silos. The 

 greatest danger is 

 during filling. At 

 this time the green 

 silage ferments anr' 

 forms carbonic acid 

 gas. This gas is 

 heavier than air, 

 and therefore tep 



to settle near the bottom of the quiet air in the 

 pit. If the silo is left for any length of time, partially 

 filled, the owner should take the precaution of lower- 

 ing a lighted candle before entering, or to stir up the 

 air by means of a limb of a tree, or with any other 



contrivance that 

 will cause the air 

 in the pit to move 

 and mix. \Yhile 

 the silo is full or 

 nearly so, and after 

 the silage has been 

 in the silo about a 

 month. there is 

 very slight danger 

 from poisonous 

 gases in a pit silo. 

 In the four state 

 experimental silos 

 dug i n different 

 parts of the state 

 no trouble has been 

 encountered from 

 this source. 



1. Green 

 feed of some kind 

 such as kaffir corn, 

 milo maize or ordi- 

 nary corn can al- 

 ways be raised. 

 These crops make 



