166 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



average of 6.58 pounds — an increase of 1.65 pounds of beef for 

 each bushel of corn fed, due to a difference in the kind of rough- 

 ness fed. With steers selling at 5 cents per pound, this means that 

 the feeder is getting 8*4 cents a bushel more for his corn by com- 

 bining it with some hay like clover or cowpea than if it be com- 

 bined with good timothy. 



If one-fifth of all the corn produced in Missouri is fed to cat- 

 tle, the increased profits from combining it with clover or cow 

 peas, as compared with timothy, would amount to $2,500,000.00. 



Not only do the legume hays, such as clover, cowpeas and 

 alfalfa, increase very materially the rate of gain and decrease its 

 cost, but the steers show at the end of the feeding period a higher 

 finish, carry more bloom, and are altogether smoother. By reason 

 of these facts, and the further fact that they are considerably fat- 

 ter, they will sell for from 10 cents to 35 cents per hundred more 

 on the market. Moreover, it is shown elsewhere that the hog does 

 better following cattle that are fed a legume hay than do those fol- 

 lowing a hay like timothy. 



PREPARATION OF FEED. 



This is one of the very oldest questions in connection with the 

 feeding of animals. The first thought in the mind of the average man 

 who seeks to apply better methods to stock feeding is in reference 

 to the manner in which the food shall be prepared. To the novice 

 it is in this line that there seems to be the greatest opportunity for 

 reform. When the Experiment Stations were established, this was 

 the first problem in nutrition to be attacked. Nevertheless, the 

 practice of the feeder is not essentially different in this regard 

 from what it was a quarter of a century ago. Particularly is this 

 true of the feeder of beef cattle. While it has been found highly 

 profitable to expend considerable energy and money in preparing 

 the foods for the highly specialized dairy cow, the average beef 

 animal seems to have time enough and sufficient energy of not a 

 very expensive sort to do the work of dividing and preparing the 

 feed which it was at first sought to spare him, by cutting, chafing, 

 grinding, soaking, cooking, and so on. 



We interviewed a large number of experienced cattle feeders 

 of Missouri, Illinois and Iowa on this point, putting to them this 

 question : "Do you crush, shell, grind or soak your corn, or do you 

 feed it in the ear whole?" 



