THE CHURCH OF ST. PUBLIUS, VALLETTA, MALTA, SHOWING IN THE SQUARE IN FRONT THE TOPS OF THE SILOS, CALLED THE FLORIANA GRANARIES. By the same mail you "called here, 'silos.' "will receive a photograph showing the exterior "tops of the silos in rows--they are built in this way in groups in different parts of the town "and suburbs, 66 "There are several hundreds of these silos in "Malta, and, as you will see from the enclosed "sketch of a section of one of them, they are "dug in the rock, and are all more or less of the same shape. "The walls of the silo are carefully cemented "to keep out the moisture of the rock. The "bottom, 'B' (see sketch), is closed up by the "slabs C,' which are placed a few inches apart "from each other, to allow any exudation from "the walls of the upper part to pass through, and "thus prevent its being absorbed by the grain. "When grain is deposited in a silo, a layer of barley straw of the thickness of a sheaf is "placed all round the walls, and a thicker layer at the bottom. This is done to prevent absorp"tion of moisture by the grain, which would "make it ferment. 66 "It is of paramount importance that the silo "be perfectly dry, as otherwise there will be "fermentation. "When filled up with grain more straw is 'packed in on the top of it, so as to fill up "the silo, and the top slab is then put on and "hermetically sealed. |