19181 ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 271 



imum temperature readings for over two months were 69° F., as high as in ordi- 

 nary corn silage in some instances. While no feeding tests were made, the cattle 

 ate the stover silage with relish and consumed more of it than dry fodder and 

 with less waste and labor than with dry stover. 



[Work in animal husbandry at the Nebraska Station] {Nebraska Sta. Rpt. 

 1916, pp. VII-XI). — "Work of the station in sheep and cattle feeding is re- 

 ported. 



Sheep feeding. — In December, 1915, 300 Wyoming lambs were entered in a 

 75-day experiment to determine the amount of corn to be fed with alfalfa, the 

 supplementary feeds best to use with corn, and feeding in the open v. feeding in 

 sheds. The best results were obtained from feeding 0.86 lb. of corn daily with 

 alfalfa. With corn silage added to the corn-alfalfa hay ration the animals 

 showed more finish and made gains at an average cost of 4.95 cts. per pound, as 

 compared with 4.9 cts. on the corn and alfalfa ration, 5.43 cts. for corn, oil 

 meal, and alfalfa hay, 5.15 cts. for corn, cottonseed meal, and alfalfa hay, and 

 5.18 cts. for corn, cold pressed cottonseed cake, and alfalfa hay. 



The addition of the supplementary feeds (oil meal, cottonseed meal, and 

 cold pressed cottonseed cake) to the ration increased the gains sufficiently so 

 that the profits per head were larger with their use. The lambs fed in the 

 open consumed more feed, made greater gains, and returned a larger profit 

 than those fed in sheds. 



In August, 1916, Oregon lambs were divided into eight groups of 40 each 

 to determine the relative gains and cost made in the dry lot, pasture, and on 

 corn in the field. The results again showed the cheapest gains on pasture, 

 3.55 cts. per pound. In the dry lot the lambs on a heavy corn ration made an 

 average profit per head of $1.65 and on a medium ration $1.34 ; on pasture a 

 profit of $1.77 ; and where used to feed down corn in the field a profit of $2.46. 

 Clipping the lambs increased the gains but reduced the selling price to a point 

 making the practice unprofitable. 



Cattle feeding. — An experiment was made with six lots of cattle comparing 

 corn and alfalfa hay with corn, alfalfa hay, and silage, and with corn, alfalfa 

 hay, and supplementary protein feeds. The average net profits per steer, including 

 pork produced, were as follows: Ground corn and alfalfa hay, $11.18; shelled 

 corn, alfalfa hay, and silage, $13.71; shelled Porn and alfalfa hay, $14.22; 

 shelled corn and cottonseed meal the last six weeks, $15.16 ; shelled corn, alfalfa 

 hay, silage the first four weeks, and Tarkio molasses the last 14 weeks, $15.47 ; 

 and shelled corn, alfalfa hay, and cottonseed meal, $16.79. 



Wintering' two-year-old steers preparatory to fi.nishing on grass the fol- 

 lowing summer, R. E. Hunt (Virginia Sta. Bui 215 (1917), pp. S-15, figs. 5).— 

 The usual method of wintering steers in Virginia is on dry roughage and grain. 

 The experiments reported covered three winters and compared the feeds com- 

 monly used with corn silage and combinations especially. 



As concentrated feeds v,^ith silage, cottonseed meal and corn meal were used, 

 and as roughage, mixed hay, wheat straw, and corn stover were used. Five 

 lots of five steers each were employed and the rations varied for each year's 

 work. The experiments were carried out in the open with sheds for shelter. 

 The seasonal differences are noted and the gains and losses in weight displayed 

 by graphs. From the three year's work the following conclusions are drawn : 



In buying two-year-old cattle in the fall for fattening they were carried 

 through the winter on a maintenance ration and made their gains on grass 

 during the following summer. When the steers were wintered on silage they 

 made more rapid gains on grass in the spring with practically no loss in weight 

 in making the change, while steers wintered to gain flesh lost weight while 

 becoming used to the watery and immature grass of early spring. Steers in 



