238 ILLINOIS STATE DAiK¥Mii;N'S ASSOCIATION. 



Building the Foundation. 



Locate the silo at a place convenient to the barn. This will 

 generally be within three or four feet of one end, or some door 

 close to the mangers. Level off the ground, and with a string 

 and nail mark out the circumference of the silo with a radius at 

 least one foot longer than the inner radius of the silo. Excavate 

 within the circle at least four feet, keeping the dirt around the 

 outer edge perpendicular. The foundation wall should be at 

 least one foot thick to properly support a concrete silo, so as 

 soon as the excavation is finished mark off another circle the 

 exact size of the inner diameter of the silo, using the same center 

 as above. Drive heavy stakes so that their outer edge will be 

 exactly on the line of this circle completely around it and about 

 two feet apart. The tops of these stakes should extend as high 

 as the level of the highest part of the ground around it. Brace 

 each stake from the middle so that it can not give. Bend on 

 half inch planks around the outside of these stakes making an 

 improvised inner form leaving the earth for the outer. 



The foundation should then be made of concrete, using 

 crushed stone or very coarse gravel as the base of the mixture. 

 The mixture recommended for the walls may also be used here. 

 Care should be taken not to fill the concrete more than a foot in 

 depth around at one time and this should be thoroughly tamped 

 and worked with the spade until water stands on top, then al- 

 lowed to set before an additional layer is added. The founda- 

 tion should also be reinforced by steel rods which may be bought 

 for the purpose or by twisting together three or four strands of 

 number 12 cable wires and laying them a foot apart as the foun- 

 dation goes up. A spirit level should be used in order to get 

 the foundation form at the same height and level all the way 

 around. 



When the walls of the silo are complete the bottom 

 should be laid. Put down a well-tamped layer of cinders or 

 gravel about six inches deep and upon this put six inches of con- 

 crete. Plaster the surface about one-half inch deep with the 

 same mixture used in smoothing down the walls. 



