FACTS RELATING TO SILO CONSTRUCTION. 285 



Station, who is high authority on such questions, has 

 said that none of the available metals are in them- 

 selves proof against the acids of the silo and that it 

 is scarcely possible to make paint adhere to them. 

 In the meantime therefore expenditure on such lin- 

 ings would be unwise. 



Lining with tarred paper has also proved unsatis- 

 factory. It cannot be kept in place without more 

 or less of furring, and this interferes with the settling 

 of the silage. The paper is also adversely affected 

 with the silage juices, and this in turn injuriously 

 affects the wood under it. 



The stave silo from the very nature of its con- 

 struction does not call for any kind of lining, and 

 this is in itself a strong argument in its favor. 



Perservatives for Linings. — It was popular at 

 one time to apply some preservative to the inner 

 lining of silos in the hope of better preserving the 

 wood in the same. The more common of these 

 include coal tar applied alone while hot, or with 

 resin added, or dissolved in gasoline and boiled 

 linseed oil. It is also applied with black oil added 

 equal in quantity to the coal tar. It has not yet 

 been demonstrated that any of these applications 

 have materially aided in promoting the end sought. 

 It has even been thought that in some instances their 

 application hastened decay. The fact is simply 

 stated without waiting to give the reasons. When 

 these so-called preservatives are used they may be 

 applied with a suitable form of mop or whisk broom. 



In stone silos the cement lining may, when 

 necessary, be made to last longer by applying a white- 

 wash of cement as often as the lining shows any 



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