1G3 



aninuils f;re\v older. Tlir, steers were all fed defiiute quantities of the 

 grain rations, consisting; at different times of wheat bran, with gluten 

 meal or old-proe(;ss linscjed meal, or with linseed meal and corn-aud-cob 

 meal, and eoarse fodders consisting of corn stover, corn silage, corn 

 fodder, or stover and sugar beets, ad libitum. The only essential differ- 

 ence between the food of the older and younger animals was in regard 

 to the (quantity and jiroportion of the constituents of the grain rations. 

 The yearlings were fed from December 17, 1880, to May 9, 1890 (20 

 ^^eeks) and the 2-year-ol(ls from Deceml>er 10, 1889, to March 25, 1890 

 (15 weeks). Fall tabulated data with rettneuce to food consumed, gain 

 in live weight, cost of rations, cost of food per pound of gain, etc., are 

 given for each animal, together with the fertilizing ingredients in each 

 of the feeding stuffs used. In estimating the cost of food, wheat bran 

 and corn-and-cob meal are each reckoned at $16.50; gluten meal at 

 i^23; old -process linseed meal at $27.50; corn stover and sugar beets 

 each at §5; corn fodder at 87.50, and silage at $2.75 per ton, allowing 8 

 per cent for the loss of fertilizing ingredients of the food. " The net 

 cost of the food, therefiue, represents the cost of the food consumed 

 after deducting from its original market i)rice 92 per cent of the money 

 value of the essential fertilizing constituents — nitrogen, ijhosi)horic 

 acid, and potassium oxide — it contains." 

 A tabulated summary of the results for the whole experiment follows : 



Summary of results of feeding steers. 



Teiirlings : Xo. 1 

 Ko. 2 



■Jycar-olds:Xo. 3 

 No. 4 



Livowciglit 

 at begiu- 



niug of ex- 

 piniiicnt. 



Pounds. 



675 



GOO 



1, 235 



1,180 



Gain in 

 live weight. 



Pounds. 

 220 

 210 

 i:!5 

 130 



Dry matter 



consumed 



per jjoiind 



of gain. 



Pounds. 

 8.91 

 8.78 

 17.19 

 17.32 



Total cost 



of food 

 consumed. 



Total value k- 



$16. 92 

 17. 52 

 1<!. 37 

 15.31 



of fertili- 

 zing ingre- 

 dient. s in 

 food. 



Net cost of 



food per 



pound of 



gain.* 



$11. 35 I 

 11.82 

 11.26 

 10.40 



Cents. 

 2.95 

 2.77 

 4.45 



4.78 



♦Allowing a Idss of 8 per cent of the manurial value of the food. 



Corn silage, when fed eitlier with wlieat bran and ghiteu meal or with wheat bran 

 and old-process linseed meal, produced the highest gain in live weight without 

 exception. The increase in live weight when feeding the silage ration to 1-year-old 

 steers, in one instance, exceeded 3 pounds i)er day; while in the case of 2-year-old 

 steers it averaged more than 4 jjounds per day in one case. 



The original cost of the food consumed per day on the silage ration was from 12.82 

 to 14.72 cents in the case of 1-year-old steers, and from 16.67 to 19.33 cents in the case 

 of 2-year-old steers ; and the net cost of the food per day was from 4.81 to 5.26 cents 

 in the case of 1-year-old steers, and from 6.65 to 7.44 cents in the case of 2-year-old 

 stt'crs. 



While on the silage ration the daily increase in Live weight averaged 

 2.9 pounds for the yearlings and 3.15 for the 2-year-olds. The first cost 

 of the food during this time averaged 1.8 cents per pound oi gain for 

 the younger animals and 5.22 cents for the older, while the net cost aver- 

 aged 1.82 cents for the yearlings and 2.08 cents for the 2 3-car-olds. 



