No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 223 



appearance. They had been given considerable grain and were "well 

 started." In fact, some butchers would have selected a few for 

 slaughter. In the following table is given the weights of each steer 

 at the beginning and close of the experiment, as well as at each weigh- 

 ing period on alternate weeks during the period of feeding. 



Kations Fed. 



Each lot was fed a grain ration consisting of nine parts of corn 

 meal and oue part of wheat bran by weight, in such quantities as 

 would be readily consumed. The judgment of an experienced feeder 

 was relied upon to determine the amount that should be given from 

 day to day. 'An accurate account was kept of the total amount of 

 grain consumed by each lot, but no elfort was made to determine 

 the amount of food consumed each day. The grain for each lot was 

 weighed out weekly and placed in a bin. The feeder having access to 

 this bin fed each lot the necessary amount. At the end of the week, 

 that remaining in the bin was weighed and deducted from the amount 

 previously weighed out. In a similar manner an account was kept 

 of the hay and corn stover consumed by each lot of steers. The hay 

 consumed hj the three lots was of good and uniform quality, largely 

 timothy with a little clover. The corn stover was well cured and 

 shredded. The hay and corn stover were placed in large sacks and 

 weighed and taken from the sacks and placed in the mangers as re- 

 quired. The unconsumed portions were weighed back and deducted 

 from the total amount offered them, the difference giving the amount 

 consumed. As the refuse was frequently small, it was not weighed 

 back until a considerable amount had accumulated; that is, the un- 

 consumed hay and stover were removed each day and kept until a 

 considerable amount had accumulated, when the whole was weighed 

 and sampled. The following table gives the amount of food con- 

 sumed weekly by each lot: 



