The Bulletin. 7 



not ]3roduce a desirable finish, upon Avhicli the amount of margin depends 

 ahnost Avholly. These factors thus briefly explained are the important 

 objects of the work. 



PLAN OF WORK. 



The experiment was planned so that every condition would be the same 

 in each lot of cattle except the variation in the roughage rations, which 

 Avas the real nucleus of the experiment. The cattle were divided into six 

 pens of eight steers each. Three pens of cattle were fed corn silage and 

 three pens cotton-seed hulls, thus making a car-load in each lot. Two 

 pens of the com-silage-fed cattle and two pens of the cotton-seed-hulls- 

 fed cattle were fed on the south side of the cattle barn. The third pen 

 of corn-silage-fed and cotton-seed-hulls-fed cattle were fed on the north 

 side of the barn. xVll shelter and exposure conditions were therefore 

 exactly the same. 



The cattle were divided into the two lots of twenty-four head each as 

 equally in weight, quality, and condition as possible. The preliminary 

 rations were the same for each lot. This period extended from October 

 15, 1913, to November 2, 1913, inclusive, the total preliminary period 

 being 19 days. During this time the roughage ration remained the same 

 for all the cattle, and the cotton-seed meal was increased uniformly 

 toward the standard or experimental ration, which was 7.5 pounds per 

 animal daily. 



The foregoing table brings out clearly the method of comparison. The 

 daily cotton-seed meal ration is the same for each lot, the only variation 

 being in the amount of roughage feeds fed as indicated. 



At the beginning of the final or experimental period one lot- of cattle 

 was put on cotton-seed hulls and the other lot on corn silage. This 

 marked the date of comparative results herein given. The increase in 

 cotton-seed meal was continued until ISTovember 15, when all the cattle 

 were placed on the standard ration of 7.5 pounds per animal daily. The 

 ration of each lot was increased to 8 pounds on January 26, 1914, just 

 four weeks prior to the close of the experiment. With the exception of 

 , the last three days of the feeding period the rations were continued as 

 outlined. On February 23 they were changed somewhat to prepare the 

 steers for shipment. This consisted in a reduction of the cotton-seed meal 

 and the introduction of cotton-seed hulls in the ration of the corn-silage- 

 fed cattle. 



