ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. l gg 



ensilage, which is 80 per cent water or sap, and htats up to 180 degrees; 

 every crack is shut tight. To build a stave silo, first decide on the size Cl 

 the silo you want to build, then get the material easiest to get. Anv 

 lumber that will not warp is suitable; have it as dry as possible. If 

 your silo is to be above 20 feet in height, buy lumber of two lengths; for 

 a 40 foot building get 14 and 10 ft. stuff; or in 26 ft. ilo, 12 and 14 foot 

 lengths. Get your stuff on the ground some hot dry days, laying it close- 

 ly like a floor. Then take an old broom or a whitewash brush and a 

 bucket of coal tar and paint the lumber, not scrimping the amount; let 

 it lay a day or so and then turn up another face of the lumber, again give 

 it the gas tar paint. Continue till all sides and edges are painted. Gas 

 tar has been found to be the best preservative of silo walls yet found, and 

 I may add that for rough work, such as farm gates, corn cribs and board 

 roofs it is not equaled by any of our many paints. If the tar is too 

 thick, thin it with gasoline. While our lumber is drying, we will put in 

 silo foundation. We must decide where to build, and the best rule is to 

 build just as near the animals' mouths as possible, to save the work of 

 feeding; at gable end of barn or shed is the best place. To lay founda- 

 tion drive a peg in center of ground selected for foundation; take a 

 fence board, bore a hole in end, slip over peg, then at half of distance of 

 diameter of silo slip a pin or bolt that will mark ground as board is mov- 

 ed around. After this mark is made, set pin as far as width of founda- 

 tion trench is to be, which is about 16 or 18 inches. Now dig trench 18 or 

 20 inches deep, then fill up within 6 inches of top with small rocks, 

 brickbats or very coarse gravel; over this pour thin cement. After this 

 is completed, start wall 6 inches from outside of trench, leaving a 6-inch 

 jog; that jog is to fool any rat that may wish to explore contents of silo. 

 It is better to finish the narrorwer wall with flat rock or brick; build up 

 8 or 10 inches above ground level. The dirt should then be thrown up 

 against wall on the outside, even with top of wall to turn water from 

 building. The inside circle or silo bottom should be of dirt only. Many 

 people put down costly cement floors, only to find a large amount of en- 

 silage spoiled each year. A sill is not necessary, but I always use one. 



