>D/70 / B 195 P6 opy 1 67 PER CENT OF THE FOOD VALUE OF THE CORN OBTAINED FROM EARS AND FODDER 91 PER CENT OF THE FOOD VALUE OF THE CORN OBTAINED FROM SILAGE I THE. OLD WAY 2 THE NEW HA* WHY BUILD A SILO? In these days of high land values and increasing cost of all farming opera- tions, it is important that the farmer ob- tain from his crops the greatest pos- sible feeding value per acre. He must grow forage crops that contain the highest proportion of materials which actually go to make bone, flesh and fat. About 40 per cent of the entire feed- ing value of corn is in the stalks and leaves. As the corn crop is harvested on many farms, this portion of its value is lost. Is it good business to go to the expense of producing this crop, robbing the land of its valuable elements, and then losing this 40 per cent of food value by letting the stalks and leaves go to waste? THE SILO AND PREPAREDNESS With rising costs of all kinds of food- stuffs and the threatened shortage which the country faces owing to world- wide conditions, it is the duty of every one to do all in his power to avoid waste and to increase production. This country cannot afford citizens who throw 40 per cent of the corn crop away. In the present national crisis, every acre of land should be made to yield its full capac- ity, and every human endeavor should be directed toward con- servation. The shaded portions represent lots CEMENT STAVE SILOS WHAT THE SILO WILL DO It takes a good farmer to make two blades of grass grow where one grew before. It takes a better farmer to grow two bushels of corn where former- ly one bushel was grown. The farmer who can make $2 this year where he made $1 last year is a good business man. Any farmer can do what amounts to these very things with only a small additional investment and very little more labor. He can build a silo and save all of the corn crop and make valuable food of it for practically every farm animal. In converting corn into silage it is easy to almost double the feeding value per acre of the crop. Silage is a juicy, appetizing feed, uniform in quality at all seasons, relished by farm animals, and has a combined tonic and laxative effect upon the digestive organs. SILAGE FOR DAIRY COWS When the practice of feeding silage was new, most people thought it was good only for dairy cattle. Although there is no doubt that silage is the best roughage obtainable for dairy cows, experiments carried on in recent years by the United States Department of Agriculture and various experiment stations have proved conclusively that it can be fed with profit to almost all kinds of farm animals. In an experiment carried on by the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, two groups of dairy cows producing about equal quantities of milk were fed with their grain as nearly as possible the same amount of roughage, one hay, ' 1 IP CEMENT STAVE SILOS the other silage. The group that re- ceived silage produced 15^ per cent more milk and 1 1 per cent more butter fat per 100 pounds of nutrients fed. Other experiments carried on along these lines have confirmed the results of this test. QUANTITY OF SILAGE TO FEED Because of its uniformity, palatabil- ity and economy, silage is the ideal feed for dairy cows. To receive the best returns from dairy cows, about 40 pounds of silage, with some dry rough- age should be fed per day. Silage-fed cows keep up an even flow of milk, have a silky coat and keep in good, healthy condition at all seasons. SILAGE GOOD FOR FATTENING STOCK Many farmers have not built silos because they do not wish to carry on regular feeding operations in the winter. Their idea is to buy cattle in the fall and winter them on corn fodder. As a general rule, cattle cared for in this manner will come out in the spring in just about the same condition and weight as when they started in the winter, while cattle wintered on silage, which costs no more than common corn fodder, invariably make large gains. Silage-fed cattle have that smooth hard finish, so much desired by farmers and packers. Out of i 1 4 answers received by the Missouri Experiment Station in reply to the question, "Do you find that it costs less to fatten a steer when silage forms a large part of the ration," 112 CEMENT STAVE SILOS cattle feeders answered "Yes," while two were unable to give a positive answer. The quantity of silage which should be fed to cattle that are being fattened depends on several conditions, such as time of year, state of market, weight of cattle and other feeds being used with silage. From 20 to 25 pounds of silage per day is usually enough. SILAGE FOR SHEEP Silage may be fed to sheep with good results. As sheep require a greater variety of food than other farm animals, better results are obtained by combin- ing such roughage as clover and alfalfa with the silage. It has been proved that the expense of feeding sheep can be greatly reduced by adding silage to their ration. SILAGE FOR HOGS For hogs, silage is better as a condi- tioner than as a fattener. Hogs will eat it readily, but it is too bulky to produce fat when fed alone. It has been recommended very highly as feed for sows with pigs, as it will quicken the flow of milk. FEEDING SILAGE TO HORSES The practice is growing of feeding silage to horses. Care should at all times be taken that no frozen or moldy silage is given them. Silage is not rich enough in nutrients to be used as the only feed for work horses. Grain should be given with it. Colts and horses that are not worked through the IBS 1 ^m *t 1 B ? ^S55 1 ||£f^S ^BsSBmM ^™ itff^^^ H ^B ..ggf^MB H H >f^mn S H stfrtMl H «aa^^ Hpl uiMNM JKv|f/,/n* JftfH ■ ■kjubb Iftfc Maha S J ka h Co°"il CEMENT STAVE SILOS winter can be successfully carried through on silage and straw. This is economical feeding and if carefully done, invariably takes the stock through the winter in splendid condi- tion. About 8 or 10 pounds of silage per day is all that should be fed. What kind of a Silo? As the economy of Jeeding silage de- pends in part upon the efficiency of the silo, it is necessary that the silo be Airtight Waterproof Raiproof Windproof Fireproof Permanent AIRTIGHTNESS No doubt the most important re- quirement is that the silo be airtight. Silage spoils owing to bacterial action, which cannot take place unless air is present. CEMENT STAVE SILOS are so built that it is impossible for air to reach the silage through the walls. WATERTIGHTNESS It is necessary that the walls of a silo be watertight not only to prevent entrance of water from the outside, but to prevent silage juices from escap- ing. The individual staves of which the cement stave silo is made are water- tight and when laid up the joints between them are sealed in such a manner that there is no leakage. CEMENT STAVE SILOS Cement staves have been successfully used for building water tanks of moderate height. RATPROOFNESS Rats and mice will gnaw their way into some silos, if possible, to nest in the silage. The holes which they make allow air to enter and result in con- siderable silage being spoiled. Rats and mice cannot gnaw through concrete. WINDPROOFNESS Cement stave silos are windproof. They have withstood tornadoes which have leveled other silos and all sur- rounding structures. The weight of the cement stave silo is a great point in its favor. There is no need to tighten or loosen hoops. It is unne- cessary to attach guy wires to keep it from blowing over. Once properly erected, the cement stave silo is up for all time. FIREPROOFNESS On the average farm there are few means of fighting fire, therefore a silo should be fireproof. Cement stave silos have successfully withstood very severe fires. If they are built with a concrete chute, not a pound of silage need be lost through exposure to fire. A cement stave silo will protect the store of winter feed against such hap- penings. After a dry season when other feeds are very expensive and the farmer has nothing that can be sub- stituted for his silage, its loss means far more than its ordinary actual value. CEMENT STAVE SILOS There are many instances on record where the burning of a silo has not only cost the owner his silo and its valuable contents but has made it necessary for him to sell his stock because of having no feed, and consequently has driven him out of business for a season or two. A cement stave silo will make certain that your dairy plant can be operated without interruption. PERMANENCE Cement stave silos are permanent. Many of them built twelve years ago are in as prefect condition today as when new. Concrete grows strong- er and tougher with age. There is no outlay for upkeep and repairs, no painting, no mortar joints to fill, no holes to patch. A cement stave silo on your farm will make large re- turns yearly for no one knows how many years. EASE OF CONSTRUCTION One of the many points in favor of the cement stave silo is the ease and speed with which it can be built. Four men are usually required to do the work — two above, one to set the staves, and the other to follow and plumb them, while two men below hoist the staves and help with scaf- folding. Common types of cement silo staves are 28 to 30 inches long, 10 to 12 inches wide, and 2y 2 to 3 inches thick. There is some variation of method pre- vailing among the different stave man- ufacturers or systems of building stave silos in joining the staves together; but CEMENT STAVE SILOS as all of these methods are being used with reasonable satisfaction, the slight differences are not of great conse- quence, and occasionally give an in- tending purchaser the opportunity to select a type which most appeals to his personal fancy. ERECTING THE SILO Excavation for the foundation is made to a point below possible frost penetration to prevent the structure from heaving by frost action. A solid concrete foundation is then put in, usually so that the floor of the silo will be not more than 4 feet below ground level. This depth is considered most satisfactory, as it is not too deep for convenient removal of the silage for feeding. In the first course of staves set upon the foundation, full and part length staves are alternated. This starts the breaking of joints which is maintained to the top row and which is finished with alternate full and part length staves. As each course of staves is placed in position, a steel band or hoop is put on and tightened. After all of the staves have been set, the hoops are again tightened to take up any remaining slack. The inside wall of the silo is then painted with a thick cement and water wash. This fills any water pockets on the surfaces of the staves and seals the seam between adjoining staves, giving a smooth, even, airtight and watertight surface. CONTINUOUS DOORWAYS Cement stave silos can be built with 10 CEMENT STAVE SILOS L. F. Crandall, Winsiow, 111. continuous doorways from top to bot- tom without weakening the structure. Specially designed door frames of con- crete or steel are used, and both types have given excellent satisfaction. Door openings are usually about 24 by 30 inches, which allows plenty of room to get in to remove the silage. Con- venient ladder steps are provided and doors fit tightly into door frames so as to keep out air. QUICK ERECTION A cement silo can be built in less time than any other type of masonry silo. An average size is usually built com- plete in three days, although in many cases where all conditions have been favorable they have been built in two days. The staves may be hauled by the farmer any time when he is not busy. The silo crew is on the farm only a short time and does not inter- fere with the regular farm routine. GUARANTEE There are hundreds of cement stave silos in the central western states, which have been giving perfect satis- faction for periods up to twelve years. The cement stave silo is manufactured of home materials and by home labor, and erected by a home contractor who must depend upon local business and therefore stakes his reputation on his work right in your neighborhood. The buyer hauls the material to his farm and the contractor sends his expert crew to erect the silo. This not only relieves the farmer of building but makes it possible for the cement stave CEMENT STAVE SILOS silo contractor to give the farmer a real guarantee covering workmanship and materials and thus to protect him against loss. CEMENT STAVE CHUTE At slight additional expense a cement stave silo can be equipped with a cement stave chute which is also fire- proof and will protect the silo doors from fire. The cement stave chute is a feature of all new cement stave silos and can readily be attached to silos now in use. A permanent chute adds greatly to the appearance of the struc- ture and is an economical and inex- pensive addition. YOU CAN AFFORD A CEMENT STAVE SILO Any farmer can afford a cement stave silo. There is no upkeep expense such as painting and repairs. There is thorough protection against wind, rot, rats and fire. A good silo makes a farm more salable and marks the owner as a progressive farmer. A cement stave silo never fails to increase the farm income. For economy, profit and permanence, why not build a CEMENT STAVE SILO? Before the Fire After the Fire Silos Unharmed Because Built of Concrete — Silage Undamaged Several hundred Cement Products Plants now build Cement Stave Silos. If you do net {now a contractor who builds Cement Stave Silos in your neighborhood, write to the FARM BUREA U of the POR TLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION. uxdkhky OF CONGRESS LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 00027^1270 • Hollinger Corp. P H 8.5