ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 87 



Home and Farm Mutual, in relation to building silos, for the 

 reason that the labor may be performed by any stone-mason or 

 bricklayer, and carpenter. Inspect them: 



TO BUILD A SILO. 



Build it so it may be entered directly from the feeding stables, 

 and one-half below the ground. Eight feet below and four feet 

 above, the upper portion banked up with the excavated earth, 

 would be better. There must be a double door at least five feet 

 high and three feet wide for ease in emptying the silos, after the 

 first section is removed to a level with the bottom of the door. 

 The ensilage nearest to the door should be supported by planks 

 fitting into and inset in the wall, next to the door, to be removed 

 one by one as the ensilage is taken out. 



The drainage under the foundation should be made perfect 

 by means of a layer of coarse gravel and tile leading to a point 

 below the bottom of the silo. The bottom and sides should be 

 built of stone, laid in the best hydraulic cement. If stone cannot 

 be had, hard-burned brick is the next cheapest good material. 

 The bricks should be laid in cement and the whole inside and 

 bottom thoroughly plastered with cement. 



This may be of lumber and the roof of shingles ; and if it is 

 carried up one story above the silo, it will afford a useful work- 

 shop or room for storage of any kind. It will pay to finish the 

 building in this way, as the extra expense will prove true 

 economy in the end. The excavation may be mostly done with 

 the plow and scraper, and the incline afterwards filled in by the 

 scraper as the wall is built up. 



A given weight of ensilage in a deep silo requires less 

 extraneous pressure, and exposes less surface to the air, than it 

 would in a shallow silo. For these reasons depth is important. 

 If too deep, there is danger of expressing juice from the ensilage 

 at the bottom. 



TESTIMONY OF EXPERTS. 



As to evidence from a large number of the best farmers of the 



