246 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



around the walls. Second, where the blower cutter is used, run 

 an inch stream of water into the blower when it is at work. This 

 will add a sufficient amount of water to insure good results. 



Filling Cracks and Air Spaces. 



The silo should be air tight. Any crack or space which lets 

 in the air will cause more or less moldy silage. These troubles 

 in wooden silos may be avoided at filling time by having a pail 

 of soft clay at hand; as the silo is filled up anything that looks 

 as though it was not air-tight should be filled with a handful of 

 clay. Any cracks or openings in masonry silos should be prop- 

 erly fixed with cement before filling. Great care should be taken 

 to have the door fit well and air-tight. In a good silo, properly 

 filled, there should be no waste except at the top. 



Preventing waste on Top. 



There is always some waste on the top of the silo, unless 

 feeding operations are commenced as soon as the silo is filled. 

 The amount of waste material varies under different conditions 

 of management from two inches, where great care is exercised, 

 to^ ten or twelve inches, where practically no precautions are 

 taken to protect the same. Various methods for lessening the 

 amount of waste have been tried out. One of the first precau- 

 tions is to thoroughly pack and level the top of the silo. Some 

 use oat chaff or cut straw. Others thoroughly soak the top with 

 water, then seed with oats. The oats germinate and form a thick 

 covering which serves to keep out the air, thus lessening the 

 waste. One of the easiest and most satisfactory methods to 

 pursue is to pick the ears of the last three or four loads of corn, 

 then run the stalks through the cutter into the silo. Thoroughly 

 tramp the same. Then put on from twenty to thirty barrels of 

 water. This has the effect of hermetically sealing the silo and 

 only a very thin layer of waste will be on top. 



