FILLING A SILO.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1927, 28 February 1885, Page 3

FILLING A SILO.

Tho following account of filling and pressing a silo, given by a practical man In tho Agricultural Gazette- is worthy of the attoution of every one intending to put tho aystom into practice:—ln nearly every instance I placed the grass or clovor in the silo the day after it was cut, and as it was put in it was trampled. In three or four days the silage sank from twelve feet to eight feet, and as it sank I put in moro. In about ten days from the timo when the silo was first filled I put on the weight. Tho silage at this time was from 140 to 450 degrees. After the weight was applied the temperature never rose any higher, but at the end of a fortnight had fallen to 130 deg., and then continued i • to fall, When the silo had sunk sufficiently low in the silo I took off the weight and boards and filled to the top again; this I <W\ repeated three or four times. But the ■. mode of weighting is as much, if not more • ••' ■■■■ importance than the method of filling. I have found that it is essential tho weight shonld press continuously upon the silage ■.: ..and. that as the latter sinks'-the: weight :... must follow. If it does not, the'air is not ...v.. jfifficientlyexcludedandthesilagebecomes ' .. .;Mgb and of little value. Last year I used ■ ; ; „..jHSbk? and stones, but I found the .-■.•;.! labor and expense in getting, them ::;.;t'pn..-. and...off -very great. .' Screws. ■:'(;:$» .■unsatisfactory,...because they are. ;■ ;:i.(-Jiot ■ self-acting, and tho weight; does ■ fall with the silage r iwhich, even- .. been in the.silo two ot.three-...\^-..:.lnonths,'still:fallsslowly:butiJontiraioUs< .:: ,'ly... In.thesilo.lhavelately opened the...silage, with.a weight of 1501b.t0 the.....squarefoot upon it, continued to sink .i f '.v.one:eighth of.an inch in the twenty-four' -..;'., hours two montlis after the last filling , -.- .-had taken place, thus proving that what-' ~.,. .ever-weight is uscdwust. be thoroughly .-..continuous in.its action, .This year-I- ---... have weighted all my four silos by means' -.-....;f1f levers firmly secured 'to some screwed .'-..• rods passed. through the silo near the V centre. By means of levers 12ft. to 20ft. , long, according to the size of the silo, I get all the weight I require, which is ' ... ; 1501b. to the squaro foot. They arc as Vv. continuous in their action as if dead •'•..weight were used, with this great '■ advail-; ,-.>iJage—that: three men can .take oil' tho --i||piholo-of the apparatus (equal to a weight - .-»roi tho silo-of ten to twenty-tons), and put .. ;' it on again in lesß,thaii half an hour, thus • enabling mo to fill up the silo at my, con- . ~-vonience, and also- to ■make, the most of the apace in tho Bilo. I am thoroughly satisfied with tho working of this press .upon nyy own silos tin's, year, aud I Bhall. lie gla4 to. show- them: to- anyone who ; would like to see them.—Edward L. Blunt, Blaby Hill, Leicester. .-.-.- -.-