MATERIALS FOR THE SILO. 59 



PAINTING. 



The entire outside of the silo, including roof, shall be painted 

 two coats of good mineral paint; the entire inside surface of the 

 staves and doors shall be thoroughly coated with hot coal tar. 



Note. — Before filling silo, tar paper should be tacked tightly 

 over doors and the entire inside of silo examined and cracks 

 tightly caulked. 



The method of construction specified in the preceding may of 

 course be modified in many particulars, according to the condi- 

 tions present in each case, cost of different kinds of lumber, 

 maximum amount of money to be expended on silo, etc. 



The following directions for the construction of stave silos 

 are taken from two bulletins on this subject, published by the 

 Cornell and Ottawa Experiment Stations. For a silo 20 feet in 

 diameter, a circular trench 18 inches to two feet wide and with 

 an outer diameter of 22 feet is dug about 2 feet deep, or below 

 the frost line. The surface soil over the whole included area, 

 and for 2 feet outside, is removed to a depth of 10 or 12 inches 

 at the same time. The trench is then filled to the level of the 

 interior with stone, well pounded down, the surface stone being 

 broken quite small, and thin cement (1 part of cement to 4 of 

 sand thoroughly mixed) poured over, well worked in and left 

 for a few days. This Is followed by a coat of good cement (1 

 part cement to 3 sand), care being taken when finished to have 

 the surface level and smooth. 



The silo is set up as shown in Fig. 17, which shows a cross- 

 section of one method of construction. 



The posts (a, a, a, a) should be of 6x6 material and run the 

 entire length of the silo. These should be first set up vertically 

 and stayed securely in place. 



The scaffolding may be constructed by setting up 2x4 scantling 

 in the positions shown in Fig. 17, as b, b, b, b. Boards nailed 

 from these 2x4 scantling and to the 6x6 posts will form a rigid 

 framework, across which the planks for the scaffold platform may 

 be laid. Before the scaffolding is all in place the staves should be 

 stood up within the Inclosure; otherwise difficulty will be ex- 

 perienced in getting them into position. 



It is probable that no better material can be obtained for the 

 staves than Southern cypress. This, however, is so expensive in 

 the North, as to preclude its use in most cases. Of the cheaper " 



