BUILDING THE SILO. 



veniently be IK inches thick, 14 inches wide and 16 feet 

 long, except those on the outside of the end walls, which 

 must be 17K feet long. The walls, being 16 feet high, 

 should be 16 inches thick, if made of concrete. Concrete 

 walls are stronger than the same thickness of stone wall, 

 laid by a mason. The doors are represented by the letters 

 d d d. The boxing plank extend across these doors. 



BUILDING THE SILO. 



For convenience of filling, the silo may be sunk half its 

 depth or more in the earth, where the situation permits 

 this to be done with good and easy drainage. But if the 

 soil is springy, or if the silo is to be sunk in slate or shale 

 rock which permits the water to pass freely through it, so 

 as to produce a pressure of water on the bottom, it is dif- 

 ficult to make the bottom water- tight without cutting a 

 free drain 12 inches from the outside of the wall and some 

 inches below the bottom, so as to conduct the water around 

 and off. It is better not to go deeper in any case than can 

 be easily drained. It is also most convenient not to have 

 the bottom of the silo below the level of the feeding floor 

 of the basement stable, unless the ensilage is to be taken 

 out at the top, run into the upper floor of the barn and 

 dumped through upon the feeding floor of the basement 

 where the stock is kept. If two to four feet are excavated, 

 this earth can be used to bank up on the back end of the 

 silos for an elevated drive-way for setting the cutter or for 

 delivering the green fodder. The excavation should be 

 at least 18 inches beyond the proposed wall for convenience 

 of working. Having got the bottom leveled, set the stand- 

 ards 19 inches apart (this will give a space between the 

 boxing planks of 16 inches), care being taken that the 

 edge of the inside standard next the boxing be straight. 

 To hold the standards firmly in place, nail a lath across 

 the under ends; this will prevent them from spreading, 



