Souvenirs of Yesteryear: Octagonal silos

By Donald A. Windsor

Deputy Historian, Chenango County

When Dan Noble showed me the stone foundation of an octagonal silo (Souvenirs July 12), my first reaction was to find an intact one still standing. Fortunately, Dan told me where to find one.

There it is in the photo. It is located on the north side of County Road 21, just east of the intersection with Cole Road, in the southeast corner of the Town of Smyrna. This weather-beaten wood structure is as sturdy as it is stately. The owner once tried to pull it down with a tractor but could not. I am glad. I implored him to conserve it, because it is so rare. I suggested he sell it, so if a potential buyer is interested, let me know.

The top portion is constructed with a board and batten pattern, a style from the early 1900s. The bottom is simply planks. That diagonal line separating the top from the bottom is metal flashing left from the barn roof. Apparently, the top was outside and the bottom was inside the barn, which has since been razed. The silo is about 30 feet tall and 16 feet across. Its double walls are separated by 8-inch horizontal boards. I could not inspect it very closely because a hyperactive swarm of busy bees resented trespass. The peaked roof is square and the original wood shingles are partially covered with rusted metal. The chute encloses a ladder up to that window on top.

According to Ulysses Prentiss Hedrick in his 1933 book, “A History of Agriculture in the State of New York”, page 365, silos have been in use since antiquity, usually as pits in the ground. However, above ground silos are a rather recent invention. In 1875, Manley Miles of the Michigan Agricultural College wrote an influential book on silos and silage. In 1882, only 92 farmers in the whole United States had above ground silos (hereafter just called silos). By the early 1900s, nearly every dairy farm had one.

Silos were built of wood, tile, concrete, stone, and glass. Currently, raised beds and plastic wraps are being used instead. Silos are round so that silage will not get stuck in the corners and spoil. Silos have smooth sides, so that the silage will settle evenly. The two forces driving silo construction are keeping the air out, to foster fermentation while preventing rotting, and having enough height to compress the silage, driving out even more air. Silage is fermented vegetable matter, such as hay or chopped up corn stalks, kept in a succulent state.