276 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



was made perfectly smooth on the inside. Another type has 

 the walls made of corrugated plate. Farther investigation of 

 the steel silo would indicate that they are in the experimental 

 stage and are not likely to come into extensive competition 

 with other types. 



The Stave Silo. 



Out of the 124 silos reported in Iowa when the first edition 

 of this bulletin was prepared, 82 were of the stave type. There 

 is no doubt whatever but that the stave silo is a thoroughly 

 established success. The measure of success depends largely, 

 however, upon the method of construction, material used, and 

 care that is taken of the silo. If properly constructed, the 

 stave silo incorporates nearly all of the essentials of silo con- 

 struction previously discussed. If staves are of high grade 

 material, well tongued and grooved and the hoops kept tight, 

 the walls are necessarily tight and the doors are fully as tight 

 as in any other type of silo. In addition, the walls are smooth 

 and rigid. The doors are as convenient as in any other silo 

 and, of course, any discussion of foundation, floor and roof ap- 

 plies equally well to the stave silo as to any other. 



The lasting qualities of stave silos have been discussed to 

 a great extent without any definite conclusions being reached. 

 It is stated by some that the life of a stave silo is but five 

 years, while others claim they will last indefinitely. The rea- 

 sons for this seems to be that the stave silo is subjected to 

 such widely different treatment, like farm machinery. Investi- 

 gation would indicate that the life of a stave silo varies from 

 less than five years to, in some instances, more than twenty- 

 five years, depending upon the quality of the material used in 

 the silo and the care given to it. A redwood silo filled eleven 

 times was found in excellent condition without a single flaw 

 or decayed spot. A white pine home-made silo erected in 

 1894 was visited and found to be giving good service. It was 

 apparently good for a number of years yet. Another white 

 pine silo was found very seriously decayed inside, while it was 



