• ANIMAL. PRODUCTION. 467 



and other eqnippient for cattle feetliiijj:, insect enemies and diseases, breeding; 

 beef cattle for market, and related (luestions. 



" The arrangement of matter is designed to suit the demands both of the actual 

 cattle feeder and of the student; to serve both as a ready reference guide — a 

 text adapted to the progressive pedagogic presentation of the subject in the class 

 room and a treatise conveniently arranged in logical order for the general 

 reader interested in the suliject." 



Economical rations in beef production, H. R. Smith {Nebraska Sta. Buh 

 100, pjj. 'lO, fi(js. I'l). — Several feeds supplementing a basal ration of shelled 

 corn, snappetl corn, and corn stover were tested and the results discussed in 

 (■omi)arison with earlier work, of which the present study is a continuation 

 (E. S. R., IS, p. 362). 



With wheat bran as a supplement to the basal ration the average daily gain 

 per head was 1.76 lbs., with linseed meal 2.33 lbs., with cotton-seed meal 2.11 

 lbs., and with alfalfa hay 2.42 lbs. Each of the lots comprised 10 steers, and 

 the tests covered 20 weeks. With these lots the grain ration was increased as 

 the test progressed and during the last 3 months the steers were given all the 

 grain they would eat, which was abut 25 lbs. i)er head. On a lighter feed of 

 shelled coi'n (14 lbs. per head per day) with snapped corn, alfalfa hay, and 

 corn stover a similar lot of steers fed 24 weeks made an average daily gain of 

 2.01 lbs. per head. With all the lots the range in feed eaten per pound of gain 

 was from 13.73 lbs. with the oil meal to 19.25 lbs. with the lot fed wheat bran, 

 and the cost of feed per pound of gain (making no allowance for gains made by 

 pigs following steers) from 6.90 cts. with the lot fed alfalfa hay to 10.49 cts. 

 with the wheat bran ration. In the case of the lot fed wheat bran there was a 

 calculated loss, including pork made by pigs following steers, of $3.94. With the 

 other lots there was a calculated profit ranging from $1.32 with the cotton-seed 

 meal ration to $6.38 with the alfalfa hay ration. 



Data are given regarding the profit obtained in feeding a light ration of 

 shelled corn with snapped corn, corn meal, corn fodder, alfalfa hay, and corn 

 stover, but the test is not reported in full. 



Some of the general conclusions drawn from this test and earlier work 

 follow : 



" Alfalfa hay with corn alone gives large and profitable gains. 



"The use of well-cured corn stover with alfalfa and corn, while it may not 

 produce larger gains, will make the gains less costly because of its low market 

 value, thereby increasing the profits over corn and alfalfa alone. . . . 



" The results of 2 experiments indicate that linseed meal is a little more valu- 

 able than cotton-seed meal and much more valuable than wheat bran for supple- 

 menting corn when fed with prairie hay or corn stover. 



" When alfalfa is made at least half of the roughness *\'ith prairie hay or 

 corn stover, good gains may be made and at less cost than when no alfalfa is 

 fed, the protein being supplied by the use of linseed meal. In other words, it is 

 possible to grow protein on the farm at a price nuich below what it will cost 

 on the market in the form of some commercial protein food. . . . 



"The results of a single experiment in which but little more than half a full 

 feed of corn was supplied two lots of fattening steers suggest the possibility of 

 making a larger use of hay in finishing cattle for market than is ordinarily 

 n)ad6 and at less cost, especially where hay is relatively low and corn high in 

 price. 



" From a commercial jioint of view the results of tins entire series of experi- 

 ments go to show that cattle feeding can l)e made profitable when discretion 

 is used in the selection of foods for the ration. . . . Good feeding will make 



