ANIMAL PRODUCTION. H75 



Whole cotton seed and cotton-seed meal as supplements to ground Katlr corn 

 were studied in a test of S4 days' duration with two lots of 50 steers each, 

 Kafir corn stover being used as coarse fodder. The average daily gain per 

 steer on the whole cotton-seed ration was 3.1 lbs. and the cost of feed 6.2 cts., 

 exclusive of the coarse fodder. Similar values for the cotton-seed meal were 

 2.4 lbs. and 8.8 cts. The cattle were shipped to market, and the average dressed 

 weight was found to be 62 per cent of the live weight. The authors calculate 

 that the Kafir corn meal fed with cotton-seed returned $1.34 per one hundred 

 pounds, and with cotton-seed meal $1.12, these two feeding stuffs costing, re- 

 spectively, $12 and $26 per ton. "Twelve-dollar cotton seed was more profitable 

 than $26 cotton-seed meal for supplementing a Kafir corn ration." 



When different proportions of cotton-seed cake with a mixture of ground milo 

 maize and Kafir corn were compared on a Texas ranch with two lots of 20 

 steers each, the average daily gain in 182 days was 2.47 lbs. with a mixture 

 containing about 8.5 per cent by weight of the cotton-seed cake and 2.42 lbs. 

 with about 13 per cent of the cake. The coarse fodder (sorghum hay, Kafir 

 corn fodder, milo maize fodder, and some millet hay) was supplied ad libitum 

 to both lots. 



At the beginning of this test 25 pigs followed each lot of steers and received 

 no feed exL-ei)t what they could gather. Later in the test grain was fed, about 

 2,100 lbs. per lot and the number of pigs was reduced. The total pork pro- 

 duction was found to be 100.75 lbs. per steer with the smaller proportion of 

 cotton-seed cake and 114 lbs. per steer with the larger proportion. The authors 

 calculate that the beef made per acre of milo maize, based on a yield of 40 bu. 

 per acre, was 418.2 and 422.7 lbs., respectively, for the two rations, and the 

 yield of both beef and pork 497.33 and 508.47 lbs., respectively, while the cal- 

 culated profit for the two rations, including both steers and pigs, was $263.52 

 for the smaller proportion of cotton-seed cake and $252.06 for the larger 

 proportion. 



According to the authors, Kafir corn and milo maize are not properly appre- 

 ciated in the feed trade. Both contain considerably less fat or oil than Indian 

 corn. In other constituents the differences are not important. " The authors 

 believe the protein and fat of Kafir corn are much less easily digested than the 

 same constituents of Indian corn." 



Some work at other stations is sunmiarized and general suggestions are made 

 to inexi)erienced feeders. 



Beef production, J. H. Skinner and W. A. Cochel {Iiulinim Sta. Circ. S, 

 ItjK .s). — From a general survey of the question of procuring cattle for fatten- 

 ing under local conditions, the conclusion is drawn that the best procedure 

 is to purchase such cattle in southern Indiana, since " there is low freight rate 

 with no expense attached for yardage and commission. The cattle are accli- 

 mated and possess capacity and constitution. They are strictly grass cattle 

 and are gentle. ... If bought direct from the ]>roducer of course the freight 

 to the yards and the midleman's profits are saved." The average run of cattle 

 indicate that no particular attention has been paid to breeding, and improve- 

 ment in this direction is desirable. 



Our slaughterhouse system and the German abattoir, C Cash and H. Heiss 

 (London, 1097, pp. XII +212, pi. 1, figs. 6Jf). — ^A plea for the improvement of 

 slaughterhouse conditions in Great Britain and a description of a modern Ger- 

 man abattoir. 



Skim milk in calf feeding. A. Pirocchi (Agr. Mod., t.i (1907). No 35, pp. 

 .'i9.3-.'i95). — A discussion of experiments carried on by the author from which 

 the conclusion was drawn that flour gave the most satisfactorv results for 



