IIO ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



mentum on its way until there is hardly a state in the Union 

 without its silos. 



Probably the first silos in this great Mississippi valley were 

 built by Dr. Eager, of West Point, Neb., in 1880. His four 

 silos were each 60 feet long, 16 feet wide and 20 feet deep, with 

 a united capacity of 2,000 tons. The doctor says corn ensilage 

 costs him 92 cents per ton, and is cheaper than prairie hay that 

 can be had for the cutting and stacking. The honor of Illinois' 

 first silo, we think, belongs to Oatman Bros., of Dundee, built 

 in 188 1. Mr. J. R. Barrett, of Sedalia, probably built the first 

 silo in Missouri in 1883 and another large one in 1884. Mr. B. 

 feeds 120 milch cows and 112 mules on ensilage. In 1880 there 

 were but 5 silos in the United States; in 1882 there were 1,000. 

 Between 700 and 800 were built in Great Britain alone in 1883- 

 84 — all this going to prove the success of the system of ensilage. 



The location of the silo is a matter to be well considered. A 

 steep side-hill sloping to the south or southeast is the most 

 desirable, having the cow stable and entrance to silo on the 

 warm side of the hill, a very important feature when the ther- 

 mometor ranges from 15 to 30 below zero. The object of 

 the side-hill is drainage and convenience in filling; also remov- 

 ing ensilage from silo, thus saving all elevating. Many good 

 silos are constructed inside the barn by excavating beneath, or 

 simply boarding up a portion of the barn. If the ground is flat, 

 going too deep must be avoided, as the surface water will soak 

 in and do damage, unless carried off. The material used may 

 be wood, brick, stone, concrete, or even earth silos have been 

 used to good advantage for several years. Where sand or 

 gravel are near, it may be found that the concrete wall is the 

 cheapest; only cement enough is needed to separate the par- 

 ticles of sand, and this serves as the mortar to hold the coarse 

 gravel or stone together. The work may be done by farm 

 hands, except the plastering, which is quickly done by a mason. 

 The plastering, we consider an important part, as it keeps the 

 air and water out, and makes the walls perfectly smooth. Very 

 large silos should be avoided as they leave too much surface 



