760 
Live Stock and Dairy 
A CISTERN AS A SILO. 
I have a large cistern on my farm in 
New Jersey, which is no longer in use. It 
is near the barn and is divided by a brick 
wall into two parts. This cistern has 
cement sides, and is dug in heavy clay 
ground. Is there any reason why it could 
not be used as a silo, or rather as two 
silos, with the brick wall separating them? 
The cistern is 20 feet in diameter and 
about 20 feet deep. t. d. b. 
New York. 
I very much question the advisability 
of utilizing the cistern of such dimens¬ 
ions for storage of silage. In the first 
place it would be very unhandy and 
laborious to get the silage out daily for 
use, and in the second place there would 
be considerable danger from “choke 
damp,” especially if the cistern is arched 
over, and the opening comparatively 
small. I have no doubt that the silage 
would keep very well, provided the 
cistern was airtight, but there would 
be no drainage, and the silage in the 
bottom of the cistern would no doubt 
be very strong and acid. If the top of 
this cistern were square and it would 
be possible to have quite an opening and 
free crculation of air in the cistern at the 
season of the year when the silage is 
fed, there would be less danger from 
the carbon dioxide gas. The danger, 
however, from working in a cistern, 20 
feet deep, full of fermenting silage, 
would have to be reckoned with. On 
the other hand it would be possible to 
erect a triangular hoist, and get the 
silage out with more ease, or a series 
of decks or platforms might be con¬ 
structed as the silage is taken out to 
facilitate the labor in case the hoist 
cannot be utilized. It is assumed, how¬ 
ever, that no surface drainage is ac¬ 
cessible, and that provision is made as 
a precaution against rainfall. I am 
satisfied that the silage for the most 
part would keep, and be palatable, but 
the danger in removing it as well as 
the labor of so doing would make the 
practice of questionable usefulness. 
Stave silos can be constructed very 
reasonably at the present time, and it 
seems to me that the erection of a 
modern silo would be the best plan to 
follow. F. C. M1NKLER. 
N. J. Experiment Station. 
THE RURAk HEW-YORKER 
racked by the wind. Wood silos with 
wood hoops are still advocated, as their 
hoops never are affected as to length, 
or contraction, in any kind of weather, 
as are metal hoops either band or rods, 
and a single thickness of pitch pine 
flooring is all the thickness of wall it 
needs, and if painted heavily with 
Portland cement really needs no outside 
cover or other protection. Geo. E. 
Scott, Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, not far from 
Wheeling, would gladly send you plans. 
Write to a half-dozen silo manufactur¬ 
ers for full information. Build large 
enough so that you can have silage in 
plenty 10 months of the year. Do not 
build a silo less than 14 feet in diameter 
and 30 feet in length. A good silo 
doubles the keeping capacity of a farm. 
Get five other neighbors to build silos, 
then buy your own gasoline engine, sil¬ 
age cutter, and corn binder, change 
works in filling, and be independent of 
politicians and labor agitators from the 
Start. JOHN GOULD. 
Ohio. ________ 
SILAGE FOR BEEF CATTLE. 
It is our experience that the propor¬ 
tionate profit of the silo to the cattle* 
feeder, is as great as it is to the dairy¬ 
man. We feed fattening cattle a 
balanced ration of corn, silage, cotton¬ 
seed meal, mixed hay, and shelled or 
“sliced” ear corn, feeding liberally of 
silage and cotton-seed. The corn raised 
for the silo is grown in the ordinary 
way, and carries the maximum amount 
of shelled corn to the acre. 
Michigan. jason woodman. 
SAWDUST AND COW FLAVOR. 
If a cow drinks water out of a branch 
below a sawmill would it be possible for 
the milk and butter of that cow to taste 
of the wood which has been sawed into 
lumber and dust allowed to flow in water, 
such as oak and chestnut and other hard¬ 
woods. it. J. T. 
Virginia. 
The danger of the butter tasting of 
the wood flavor of the sawdust in the 
stream would be no greater than to 
allow the cow to drink from a wooden 
bucket, or eat from a wooden manger. 
It is rare indeed that the flavors in 
water are ever carried through the fil¬ 
tration plant of a cow, and on into the 
butter. They are all neutralized in the 
process of digestion and assimilation, 
the same as the flavors of the food of 
plants being destroyed, and not appear¬ 
ing in the leaf, grain or fruit. The 
essential oils of some vegetables like 
onions, garlic, etc., that cannot be di¬ 
gested, but go into the circulation, will 
appear in the oils that go to make up 
butter fat. Do not fear that the juice 
of the sawdust will concentrate in the 
process of butter making, and appear 
in the butter as wooden shoe pegs. One 
is as likely as the other. j. g. 
FUR-BEARING SHEEP. 
The recent articles ou those Karakule 
sheep have evidently interested many of 
our readers. They" have lead to a large 
correspondence from people who are inter¬ 
ested in the sheep. We think this business 
of producing fur on the sheep’s back really 
lias a large future. There can be no ques¬ 
tion about the fact that supplies of high- 
class furs are running short, now that 
more and more of the natural fur-bearing 
animals are being killed. On the other 
hand as wealth accumulates the demands 
for fine furs increases, for certainly there 
is no hope that our Winters are' to be¬ 
come warmer, or that the fashion for wear¬ 
ing rich furs is to die out. These things 
added to the fact that the mutton from the 
Karakule crosses is of superior quality, 
appear to make the argument complete. 
We have no desire to develop any boom 
in those sheep; there are too few of them 
in the country thus far, and the price is 
too high to advise a general rush into this 
kind of sheep breeding. 
Tus far most of the herds have been 
located in the South, in parts of Texas, 
and while it is claimed that the sheep 
will do just as well elsewhere, our judg¬ 
ment is that the business will be largely 
developed, if at all, in that southwestern 
country. There are opportunities there for 
this kind of work not likely to be found 
elsewhere. It is a new industry, yet not 
fully developed and not yet in a state 
where anyone can say he knows all about 
it. We make these statements in order 
to be fair to our readers, as we know that 
human nature is prone to rush into new 
and untried things at even a slight sug¬ 
gestion. As is the case with many other 
things, this fur-bearing sheep proposition 
may fall into the hands of the boomers 
and fakers. We shall no doubt hear from 
people who offer to sell the Karakule breed, 
or something which they call even better 
to those who want to buy. We advise our 
people to keep away from all such fakers, 
and not under any circumstances to buy 
sheep of this breed until they- have con¬ 
sulted the Department of Agriculture at 
Washington. They can get sound advice 
there, and it is far better to go slow and 
know what you are doing, than to be in a 
hurry and repent at leisure. 
WHAT KIND OF A SILO? 
1 want to get a silo. I can get plenty 
of sand and gravel on the farm, cement 
about two miles from the railroad. I see 
that some recommend clay, brick and some 
wooden silos. I want one that will be the 
best and the cheapest, and I would like to 
have one that would feed 20 head of two- 
year-old steers from December until the 
middle of May. s. o. w. 
West Virginia. 
Opinion seems about evenly divided 
as to the real superiority of the cement 
over clay, brick or the wood silos, but 
this is a fact, that five wood silos are 
still built to one of the cement or brick. 
I am inclined to the belief that a good 
wood silo would be the cheaper for 
your wants, and for years give quite as 
good satisfaction as either of the other 
class. Built of fir, cypress or the heart 
of Georgia pine, a wood silo will last 
for years, if on a good foundation, and 
well anchored so not to be sprung or 
COTTON-SEED MEAL FOR CALVES. 
I noticed in The K. N.-Y. a short time 
ago an inquiry in regard to feeding cotton¬ 
seed meal to young calves, and noted that 
you did not advise the practice. I have 
fed cotton-seed meal to young calves for 
the past six years, and regard it as the 
best possible feed for them. I began its 
use before I knew that the agricultural 
papers deprecated it, or I might not have 
ventured to use it. I do not raise many 
calves, from five to 10. so can know the 
exact condition of each calf, and feed ac¬ 
cordingly, the most important thing in feed¬ 
ing any animal, particularly young ones. 
My calves are dropped in the early Spring, 
have plenty of milk, and when weather is 
warm enough are turned in a small pasture. 
They are fed their milk and grain night 
and morning in stanchions. The grain is 
fed dry after they drink their milk. 1 
have no regular rule for feeding. Eegin 
the grain when they are from three to four 
weeks old, feeding lightly at first. I feed 
wheat bran, cotton-seed meal and oil meal, 
feeding most of the bran and least of the 
oil meal, usually. I always put the cotton¬ 
seed meal on top. as the calves like it best. 
I watch the calves carefully in regard to 
the droppings. If these are too thin, lessen 
the calf’s ration of oil meal and increase 
cotton-seed meal, the reverse if droppings 
are too firm. The greatest care is, of 
course, after July when grass is less juicy. 
Calves not needed for the herd are sold in 
September and October, and I usuallv get 
the top notch price for mine. I think the 
trouble in feeding cotton-seed meal to 
calves is that they are often fed in a care¬ 
less, haphazard sort of way, which makes 
poor calves, whatever you, feed. 
New York. / L. e. Whittaker. 
If You Keep 20 
or More Cows We 
Want .You to Have 
This- Free Book 
It shows the Sharpies Mechanical 
Milker at work in large dairies; 
tells what other dairymen think 
of these wonderful machines; 
shows how much more profit you 
can make on every quart of milk 
your cows yield; proves that 
The Sharpies Mechanical Milker 
cannot possibly injure the finest animals; 
shows how it completely solves the milking 
problem; frees you from this most irksome 
job; makes you independent of "hired help” 
and adds $300 to $1,000 more each year to 
your dairy profits. "The Sharpies” is the 
only mechanical milker having 
“The Teat Cup with the Upward Squeeze” 
absolutely preventing congestion and swell¬ 
ing of the teats; removes the last stumbling 
block in the way of mechanical-milker suc¬ 
cess. Read what Henry Fielden, Supt. of 
Brandford House Farms, Groton. Conn., 
owners of one of the highest_ priced dairy 
cows in the world, says: "It is one of the 
most profitable investments that we have 
ever made on this farm.” 
Write for Free Catalog E 
THE SHARPLES SEPARATOR CO. 
WEST CHESTER, PA. 
Chicago, III.; San Francisco, Cal.; Portland. Ore. 
Dallas, Tex.; Toronto, Can.; Winnipeg, Can. 
95 
AND UP- 
WARD 
15 
AMERICAN 
SEPARATOR 
SENT ON TRIAL, FULLY 
GUARANTEED. A new, well 
made, easy running separator for 
$15.95. Skims hot or cold milk; 
heavy or light cream. Different 
from tills picture, which, illus¬ 
trates our large capacity ma¬ 
chines. * The bowl is a sanitary 
marvel, easily cleaned. Whether 
dairy is large or small, obtain our 
handsome free catalog. Address, 
AMERICAN SEPARATOR CO. 
ij. 
rgS IS 
m 
Box 1075 
BA1NBRIDGE. N. Y. 
DIRIGO SILOS 
* ARE QUALITY SILOS 
THROUGH AND THROUCH 
Air-tight doors—highest grade lum¬ 
ber—permanent ladder—best con¬ 
struction—genuine wood preserva¬ 
tive-last longer—perfect ensilage 
—easy to erect and sold direct to 
you—no agents. Send for catalog 
and price list. You can buy cheaper 
now than later on. 
STEVENS TANK & TOWER CO., Auburn, Maine 
62 Years 
June 29, 
SILO FILLING 
MACHINERY 
Wllh BLOWER and Traveling FEED 
TABLE-FULLY GUARANTEED 
Made in sizes to suit all wants from 
5 to 15 H, P. Engines 
Fill Your Silo 
We have been making Ensilage Cutting 
and Silo Filling Machinery for over 60 years. 
Every improvement that is practical is ad¬ 
ded by ns. Our policy is to always put the 
best Quality of material into every machine 
and give every purchaser full value. 
Oldest and Largest Manufacturers of 
Ensilage Machinery in the World. 
Note the new features that have been added. Four 
sided reversible steel cutting plate, positive tension 
to the feeding rolls, special knife adjustment, self 
aligning and adjustable main shaft bearings and rol* 
ler shaft bearings, extra bearings for main shaft, 
special balanco main frame. We claim large capa¬ 
city, excessive strength, simplicity and modern con¬ 
struction, ease in feeding, lighter running and in 
general THE BEST ENSILAGE CUTTER on the mar¬ 
ket today of this typo. Our new catalog is free for 
the asking. We also manufacture the ROSS SILO. 
The E.W. Ross Co., B.113 Springfield,O. 
Continuous-Opening, Braced 
Door - Frame, Permanent 
Ladder, Interchangeable 
Doors, Lightest and 
Tightest Doors. 
Strongest Hoops, 
Best Materials, 
Three Styles, Five 
kinds of Lum¬ 
ber, a hundred 
Our 
Silo 
Catalog 
contains 
•he latest 
Information 
about Silos. 
We invented 
the Modem Silo 
and have led the 
way in improve¬ 
ments. We offer the 
largest variety of 
styles and sizes. Send 
for our catalog of Silos 
and Silo Fillers. "The 
kind Uncle Sam uses.” 
Harder Mfg. Company 
BOX 11 COBLESKILL, N. Y. 
other advan¬ 
tages. All 
described 
our 
in 
Cata¬ 
log. 
tp tj) tp ip Cp 
$ 
$ 
$ SAVE MONEY ON $ 
THE SILO 
$ 
$ 
$ 
you buy this year by purchasing an m 
INDIANA SILO X 
There aro reasons why our business is V 
double what it was last year. G> 
LET US SAVE YOU MONEY TOO! X 
J6STWRITE FOR PARTICULARS 
INDIANA SILO COMPANY, § 
The largest makers of Silos In the world, h) 
Address nearest factory a 
318 Union Building, . . Anderson, Ind. J) 
A ” Indiana Building, . Des Moines, la. J, 
Jp “ Silo Building, . . Kansas City, Mo. 
tpiptpipCpCpipipipipipipipiPqlipq! 
8x20.. $62.41 
10x24.. 87.33 
12x26.. 110.35 
14x28.. 133.48 
16x30.. 159.39 
Other sizes in proportion. Ask lor CatalogNo.14 
GRIFFIN LUMBER CO. 
Box No. 17 Hudson Falls, N. Y. 
SILOS 
The Silo in Modern Farming —In these days of in¬ 
tensive farming, ensilage as feed can no longer be ignored. 
Its use is an economy. But the silo itself must not be a 
source of continual expense. 
THE IMPERISHABLE SILO 
is guaranteed. It is storm-proof, decay-proof, no painting, no waste 
of time and money in upkeep, no hoops, no injurious moisture. Is 
simple in construction. The first cost is the last. The Imperishable 
is made of Patented Vitrified Clay Blocks which are non-absorbent and 
last forever. They resist swelling, shrinking and rotting—a continual 
expense with other silos. Write at once for catalog. 
Thirty Factories Throughout the United States 
NATIONAL FIRE PROOFING COMPANY 
Agricultural Department L 
University Block, Syracuse, N. Y. 
Fill Your Silo Cheaply 
Many things enter into the cost of filling your Silo, but 
the most important one is your Silo Filler. A poor 
machine means a high cost, and an 
Appleton Quality Silo Filler 
means the lowest cost. The positive feed table, the large 
throat, big feed rolls, the four spiral tool steel knives 
t and the powerful blower mean great capacity. The 
60 lid Oak frame means strength. The single lever 
control, the handy side table, the flexible top dis¬ 
tributer mean convenience. In fact, the whole 
machine means satisfaction, while our guarantee 
that our Silo Filler will, under equal conditions, do more and better work with less power 
and will last longer, means absolute safety for you. More Silos will be built and more en¬ 
silage fed this year than ever before. We have already sold more Silo Fillers this year 
than we didin all of 1911. To insure prompt delivery you should arrange for a machine 
at once. Write to-day for free illustrated booklet. 
APPLETON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 427 Fargo Street, Batavia. 1 
SUPERIOR 
A 3 Ft F? B 1 B “The Name Tells a True Story.” Made in all styles and sizes. No matter where you live 
W ■ you can get a SUPERIOR DRILL, with an iron-clad guarantee to do your work in the best 
possible manner. WRITE FOR CATALOGUE. Go to your implement dealer and insist on seeing the SUPERIOR Send for 
the superior .9.3 almanac. TH E AMERICAN SEEDING-MACHINE CO., Incorporated, SPRINGFIELD j OHIO. 
