ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



191 



Mr. Monrad: About the dTamage, taking away the water with the 

 silage laying on the lath floor. 



A. I started to say I had three compartments under one roof laying 

 in a row, and I put outside of thisi building a tile a little below the bottom 

 of the ground so it carried all the surface water away; it don't go below 

 where you can get drainage. If you get below the water line I have heard 

 say you could keep water in^ a cistern, and I fear so with the silo. 



Q. Does it make any difference where the silage has any dew on it 

 or not, or water? 



A. All the difference is the convenience of handling it. It is un- 

 pleasant handling corn when wet, but as far asi any ill effects from it, I 

 have not been able to find it. You can get your corn crop in the silo, and 

 it may rain every other day in the fall. You can work when the sun 

 ahines, or when it don't rain, and as fast as you get in it and if it gets 

 rained on in the silo it is allright. 



Q. As far as the silage is concerned it is all right, but of course I 

 would not as.k my men to work tbat way. 



A. There have been times thi s fall when I wished I could have some 

 rain on my silage. It was not wet enough to pack properly. 



Q. What was. the effect on the open siilo? 



A. It is as fine as a fiddle, the silage in this open silo. We have 

 liad no snow until now. When it has snowed it had to be removed, that 

 was all the drawback I comld dis cover. I was not the firsit person to 

 build a silo without a roof. 



Mr. Hostetter: Did you cover your silage or not? 



A. Yes, sir, I did. I just put up the most worthless wet straw or 

 slough grass or anything that has got water to pack to preserve. What- 

 ever is on top of the silo will rot just so far as the air gets to it. Put 

 anything on that will give water, the heavier the better, that will pack 

 down and answer the purpose. If you don't put anything on you will 

 Jose somewhere from six to twelve inches of your silage on top. The 

 latter part of December — I filled my silo last fall — I got on my silo to 

 look at it and found it too dry. I had one silo empty then and run in 

 some dry corn and wet it to make i t pack, and was surprised at the amount 



