FOODS ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



673 



were increased 1 lb. per mouth, until lot 1 was fed 11, lot 2 13, aud lot 

 3 15 lbs. Iu some instances it was fouud necessary to diminish the 

 amounts. It was the intention to feed 25 lbs. of corn silage per day, but 

 the amount was finally reduced to 18 lbs. One steer in lot 2 was given 

 no silage. The financial statement is based on barley at 16 cts. and 

 corn 18 cts. per bushel; bran at $6.50, oil cake at $14, hay at $3.50, and 

 corn silage at $1.25 per ton. The results are given in the following- 

 table : 



Summary of results of steer feeding . 



The following are some of the deductions drawn: 



"The wonderfully low cost of the food fed should not he overlooked. The average 

 cost of feeding one steer per day in the 3 experiments was hut 8.36 cts. . . . 



"The low cost of the increase per 100 Ihs. is also noteworthy. With the steers in all 

 the lots it was $4.62, while the average price for which it was sold was $4.66 per 100 

 lhs. During the 3 years of feeding, therefore, the cost of the increase was less than 

 it sold for. In hut few countries of the world could this he accomplished with food 

 charged at market values. . . . 



"The net profit on each of the steers in lots 1 was $1.93 more than on each of the 

 steers in lots 3. It was $1.41 per animal more than the average profit from each of 

 the steers in lots 2 and 3 combined, and in each of the 3 experiments was the profit 

 greatest on the steers fed the light meal ration. It is fair to infer, then, that had the 

 steers in these lots heen fed as the steers in lots 1, $25.38 additional would have heen 

 added to the net profit on the 18 steers in lots 2 and 3. And it should also he borne 

 in mind that the dearer relatively the price of grain, the greater will the contrast 

 be between feeding meal or grain in moderate or in large quantities. The increase 

 in the quantities of meal fed did not result in a decrease in the consumption of fod- 

 der to the extent expected. . . . 



"The average quantity of meal fed per day in securing the hirgest profit was only 

 8.23 lhs. To this must he added some corn which the silage contained. The aver- 

 age amount of silage consumed per day throughout the feeding was a little more than 

 21 lbs. aud it contained a moderate amount of corn, but how much can not be stated. 

 In any event, it would not increase the meal fed daily to those steers to very much 

 beyond 10 lbs. The writer can not but conclude, therefore, that in Western-fed 

 lots much grain is oftentimes fed to no purpose, since from 25 to 30 lbs. of slielled 

 coi u are frequently fed per day to one cattle beast and to one pig that feeds upon its 

 droppiugs." 



The feeding value of whole cotton seed, crushed cotton seed, 

 and cotton-seed meal and hulls for finishing steers for market, 

 E. L. Bennett (Arkansas Sta. Bui. 52, pp. 47-52). — A test was made 

 with 3 lots of 5 steers, to compare cotton seed and cotton-seed products. 

 Lot 1 was fed cotton-seed meal and hulls in the same proportion as they 

 exist in the seed ; lot 2, whole cottou seed, and lot 3 ground cotton seed. 

 11270— No. 7 6 



