48 



PART II. 



Fattening Cattle on Pasture. 



INTRODUCTION. 



As a rule the ordinary permanent pasture in Alabama 

 can be depended upon to furnish grazing from about April 

 1 to some time in October. The frosts usually kill the 

 pastures in October. By making use of winter growing 

 plants, such as burr clover, the grazing season can be opened 

 about February 1 and sometimes even earlier. 



A common mistake is to overstock the pastures. When 

 this is done the grass often becomes short in August and 

 September, and the cattle actually lose in weight instead of 

 making a gain. The South often experiences a drought in 

 August and September, therefore the farmer should have no 

 more cattle on hand than can be well cared for during the 

 grazing period. 



The pastures used in this test, as stated before, were made 

 up of several kinds of grasses. No one kind of plant was 

 depended upon entirely. Johnson grass, Japan clover, and 

 Melilotus were the most important grazing plants used. In 

 addition to th-ese some bermuda and crab gras.j were also 

 found. If the pastures are to be improved each year, and 

 the grazing season extended over as many months as possi- 

 ble, several plants must be made use of. 



The cattle used in the summer feeding work were the 

 same ones as had been used in the preceding winter's 

 experimental work. When grass appeared in the spring the 

 winter work was discontinued, the cattle redivided into 

 lots, and the summer feeding work was begun immediately. 

 Some steers, which had not been in the winter experiment, 

 were added to the summer work. These extra steers had 

 been fed nothing through the winter months except what 

 they obtained on the open range. They were of the same 

 quality as the steers which had been used in the winter 

 tests. 



All of these cattle had been dehorned the previous fall. 



