REPORT OF THE AORIGVTURIST 21 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



In 1890 pigs were introduced, the breeds represented being Yorkshires, Berkshires, 

 and Essex. Since then several other breeds have been experimented with, but a few 

 years ago it was decided to abandon all but Yorksires, Tamworths and Berkshires, 

 small herds of each breed being at present on hand. 



It was not till 1899 that small flocks of sheeij were secured. Leicesters and 

 Shropshires were the breeds selected. 



HORSES. 



As indicated, practically no work in breeding has been carried on with horses. 

 The experimental work has been confined to determining the relative values of differ- 

 ent kinds of feed, both rough and concentrated. The results show that not infre- 

 quently horses are fed at a greater cost than necessary since a considerable propor- 

 tion of the grain, usually oats, might be replaced by bran wtich, generally speaking, 

 costs from 20 to 40 per cent less than oats. 



Ensilage and roots (carrots) have been found particularly valuable for idle or 

 lightly worked horses. 



CATTLE. 



^Naturally work with cattle must be divided into (1) beef production and (2) milk 

 production. 



Beef Production. 



Under this heading some of the work carried on has been along the lines of: — 



(1) Breeding. 



(2) Testing various feeds as to their value for beef production. 



(3) Testing values of rations. 



(4) Studying influence of age on cost of beef. 



(5) Studying influence of methods cf stabling on cost of beef. 



(6) Baby beef. 



(7) Length of feeding period. 



(8) Influence of quality or breeding on possibilities of profit in feeding opera- 

 tions. 



(9) Methods of feeding, 



1. Our work goes to show that breeding affects very materially the chances of 

 profit from feeding steers. The more typically beef type the breeding stock, the more 

 certain and greater are the profits on the progeny. 



2. Practically every available feed, both rough and concentrated, has been 

 experimented with, but space will not permit of giving results save in a general way. 



For roughage. — Corn ensilage, mangels and turnips are about equally valuable 

 as the succulent part of the ration; clover hay and alfalfa rank first as dry coarse 

 feeds. 



For concentrates. — Corn ranks very high, although gluten meal is probably its 

 equal, mixed meals give excellent results. Oats 100, bran 100, oil meal 100 consti- 

 tutes a very excellent meal mixture. 



3. Much has been done by way of testing the value of various rations for beef 

 production. Not to enter into details it may be said that for a 1,000-lb steer under 



