MAKING SILOS OF CLAY.
The recent rapid change in the relative cost of wood and masonry seems sufficient to have revolutionized building. This has been partially prevented by the lack of knowledge of the new materials and the tendency of humanity to jog along in the same old rut. There is ample talent in existence to solve the problems which these conditions bring about, but it takes time.
The man who raises crops knows that in order to even make expenses and interest on the investment in the land at prevailing high prices, he must market more stuff than he did 10 years ago. All intelligent and reading farmers also know that the use of a silo will help very largely to bring about the changes necessary in the production of profit from high-priced land. The use of the silo not only enables the farmer to realize practically twice the nutritive value from the corn crop that the old methods permitted, but it also enables him to keep twice as much stock to the acre, as is possible without it. This stock increases the fertility of the land. In this way the products of the soil are marketed in a more condensed form, thus reducing the loss from the soil and at the same time yielding greater profits. However, practically all that the farmer knows concerning the building of silos is what he sees on his neighbor’s farm, is told by an agent or reads in his papers.
On the other hand the clayworker realizes very fully the great possibilities of hollow-block construction but seldom is acquainted with the need for permanent silos at a reasonable cost. Thus the supply and demand very often miss connections.
The writer, being connected with the Agricultural Experiment Station of Iowa, has for several months been privileged to work upon this particular subject of silo construction and with the help of his friends of the college, and clay industries, 13 silos of the following description have been erected and used.
The most common size is 16 ft. in diameter, inside, by 35 ft. in height. The walls are 4 or 5 ins. in thickness, laid up in cement mortar, and thoroughly reinforced in the mortar joints. The door frame is composed of reinforced concrete, which is thoroughly connected with the reinforcing system of the walls. The roofs have generally been made of reinforced concrete. The doors, which are not permanently connected in any way with the building, are made of wood, and when decayed may be replaced at a cost of but $5.00 or $10.00. This replacement need not occur oftener than every five or eight years.
The cost of these silos has in no case been greater than that of the average stave silo which is on the market today. It serves the purpose at all times and in all cases and does not require particular care for maintenance; neither does it deteriorate as rapidly.
A visit to all of these silos during the latter part of the extremely cold winter showed conclusively that the block walls were perceptibly warmer than ordinary stave construction, and did not so readily permit the freezing of the silage.
The most satisfactory size of material used has been 4x8x12 in. hollow block built approximately to a circle of 8 ft. radius. The bending of these blocks has been accomplished by a very slight variation of the standard machines, thus causing practically no increase in the cost of production. The only difference between the price of this material and the standard is, that the silo block must all be burned very hard on account of the fact that they are subjected to the worst of weather conditions.
The accompanying photograph (shown in Everlasting Silo Section) gives a very good idea of the appearance of one of these silos. During the coming summer several more will be built, which will serve not only as silos, but as towers for elevated supply tanks. (Brick and Clay Record, Kenfield-Leach Company, Chicago, November 1910, Volume XXXIII, Number 5, Page 191)
CLAY SILOS ARE THE BEST KIND
Mason City Iowa Co. Proves It Instead of Claiming It
Clay silos are the best silos. Every clay products manufacturer is sure of this fact but few of them put on their fighting togs and go forth to prove it. The Mason City Brick and Tile Co. has the courage of its conviction and has gone out to prove instead of claim that clay products silos are superior. The Mason City Co. has few equals when it comes to aggressiveness, or quality of clay products either for that matter. Having equipped a plant for making silo blocks the company is proving to the farmers that clay silos are the best and that Dennison tile silos are the best of all. The accompanying cuts show some of the silos built of these tile. They are what the Mason City Company calls the “Everlasting Silo” which is a mighty good name and a strikingly appropriate one for a clay silo. The opportunity for silo trade is excellent as numerous silos are being erected in all parts of the country. The farmer of today is the man who has money to spend and he can afford to put up permanent silos instead of those made of other material. Wood silos rot, shrink and swell with the weather and must be painted. Concrete silos ferment the ensilage and the acid disintegrates the cement. Clay is best and cheapest in the long run but clay will not sell itself. It takes a boosting and that must be done by the clay products manufacturers. Another Mason City Silo is shown on the cover of this issue of the American Clay Magazine. The Mason City Brick & Tile Co. products are made on the No. 218 Auger Machine built by The American Clay Machinery Co. (American Clay Magazine, Bucyrus, Ohio, January 1913, Volume 6, Number 6)