FOODS ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



249 



■weighed at the beginning and end of the experiment. From the begin- 

 ning of the experiment until January (J lot 1 received 4 lbs. of linseed 

 cake and 4 lbs. of decorticated cotton-seed cake, and lot 2 received 2 

 lbs. each of linseed cake, decorticated cotton-seed cake, and coarsely 

 ground wheat and barley. From January G to February 13 the amount 

 of each sort of cake fed to lot 1 was increased to 5 lbs. The cake fed 

 to lot 2 remained the same, but each sort of grain was increased to 3 

 lbs. From January 13, 4 lbs. of chaff was fed l o each animal daily, and 

 early in February mangels w.ere substituted for Swedes. From Febru- 

 ary 17 until the close of the experiment the cake fed to lot 1 was 

 increased to G lbs. of each sort daily. The cake fed to lot 2 remained 

 the same, but each kind of grain was increased to 4 lbs. The steers 

 fed cake drank about 40 lbs. of water daily and the others about 25 

 lbs. Each lot consumed daily about the same amount of roots (35 lbs.), 

 barley straw (7 lbs.), chaff' (4 lbs. hay and 6 lbs. barley), and hay 

 (5 lbs.). 



The foods were samjiled every week, and from these samples an 

 average sample was taken for analysis each month. The composition 

 of the food is given in tabular form. The financial statements are based 

 on the following prices per ton: Linseed cake at $3G (including $3.50 

 for transportation and handling), decorticated cotton-seed cake $29.10 

 (including transportation and handling), wheat at $24, barley at $2G 

 (including exijense of grinding in each case), hay at $9.70, barley straw 

 at $4.85, and Swedes at $1.75. 



March G, 3 steers from each lot were fasted one day, then weighed 

 and sold for slaughter. The remaining steers were sold and slaugh- 

 tered April 3 after fasting one day. The price received for all was 

 13i cts. per pound, dressed weight. The average weight at the begin- 

 ning, the gain in weight, cost of food, profit, and ratio of dressed weight 

 to live weight (fasted) are shown in the following table: 



Results of steer-feeding experiment. 



Lot 1 (cake) : 



Sold March 4 



Sold April I..'. 



Lot 2 (cake and fcrain) : 



Sold March 4 



Sold April 1 



Average 

 weight per 

 animal at 

 beginning. 



Pounds. 

 • 1, 063 



daily gain 

 per animal. 



Pounds. 

 1.8 

 1.6 



1.8 

 1.8 



Average 

 cost of food 

 per animal. 



I $17. 



Profit per 

 head. 



$1.35 

 $5.14 



Ratio of 

 dre.ised 

 weight to 

 live weight 

 (fasted). 



Per cent. 

 58.4 



58.4 



The following conclusions were reached: "At the prices of the 

 respective foods the feeding with grain proved a decided economy, so 

 far as the mere increase of weight in the cattle was concerned. On the 

 other hand, there is to set against this the sui)eriority of the niannre 

 produced by cake-feeding." Under the then existing financial condi- 

 tions the author believes that, taking into account the fertilizing value 



