Tlie Silo and Silage-stack Competition, 1885-86. 
295 
silos were taken off the end of an old brick-bailt and slated barn, each was 
20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 12 feet high. The silos were built on the floor 
of the barn, and were filled from the top ; the openings at the bottom of each 
silo were old doors 6 feet 4 inches high and 3 feet wide, and on the frames 
were wooden slips on the outside, 3J inches by 1 inch, screwed to the door- 
frames with G screws, which were most effective, and were easily removed. 
The system of pressure was Stock's patent, and from the spiral springs 
attached to the screws an even pressure is maintained, and this answered 
exceedingly well. The cost of the silos was about 28Z., and 4 of Stock's 
patent screws was 30?. — in all 58Z., or 29?. each. There were about 
85 tons of silage put into the two silos, and the cost of cutting, carting, chaffing, 
filling, treading, and putting on pressure was about 25?. 3s., or 12?. lis. Qd. 
each silo. The material was chiefly long sour grass from under the trees in 
the park, and had hitherto been wasted ; it was mown on July 18th and 
carted away as it was cut ; it was brought to the barn and chafi'ed by one of 
Bust's patent chafling machines with his elevator attached, on which the 
machine delivered the cut grass ; and it was put into the silo, where four men 
treaded it as it fell from the elevator, and after it was filled 2 feet above the 
top of the silo the pressure was applied. Three days after filling, and after 
the material had remained sis days, the silo was filled up with second-cut 
clover not chaSed, and the pressure was put on and kept on until our inspec- 
tion. The temperature had not been taken until we arrived, and it was then 
found to be not more than 50° in the silo No. 1 open this day, and it did not 
appear from the state of the silage that it had ever attained to a higher tem- 
perature. The quality throughout was excellent, and on the top of the silo, 
where a few loads of mixed clover had been placed, it was sweet and aro- 
matic, and the flowers retained their colour in a remarkable manner, the 
pink and white blossoms being as clear as when put in. 
Lord Belper's Silo, Kingston Hall, near Kegworth, Notts. — This was a new 
structure; length 20 feet, width 12 feet, and height 17 feet. The silo entered 
for competition was one of four adjoining each other; they were substan- 
tially built of brick with tiled roof, and placed closely together adjoining the 
mixing place ; the silo was on a level with the floor, and there was a doorway 
at the bottom 3 feet 6 inches wide, and 4 feet 6 inches high, which was built 
up with bricks and mortar, and pulled down when we inspected it. The total 
cost of this silo was 62?. 10s., and we presumed the four together must have 
cost 250?. No mechanical appliance for pressure was used. About 12 acres of 
grass was cliaffed and put into the silo ; began cutting and carrying at 
once on July 15th, 16th, 17th, when those operations were completed. The first 
day it was weighted with large pieces of coarse gypsum laid on boards, about 
1 cwt. to the square foot ; there were about 11 tons on the whole. The first 
day the subsidence was 18 inches, on the second 1 foot, and it gradually 
sulDsided to the present height. The temperature had not been taken until 
this day, when we found it in the centre to be 62°, whilst in the outer air it 
was 40°, and within 1 foot of the bottom it was 56°. About 70 loads of 
grass was put in to a depth of 17 feet, and on the day of inspection it had 
subsided 6 feet 7 inches. The estimated contents were 60 tons, or 5 tons to 
the acre, according to the statement on the entry paper ; the cost of cutting 
and carrying was about 12s. per acre. The quality of the silage was uniform 
and of good character, and was more sweet than sour ; it is almost entirely 
given to milking cows, which are an excellent lot ; no bad taste or smell 
whatever was given to the milk or butter. The cows in-milk receive daily 
30 lbs. of silage and cut straw, with grains and pulped cabbage with rice- 
meal. The best milkers receive in addition 3 lbs. of decorticated cotton-cake, 
and 1 lb. of oil-cake. When the cows are milked, their milk is weighed and 
registered separately. 
