074 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



kept in a yard to accustom them to the experimental conditions of the 

 test proper. 



The experiment proper began JSTovember 3 and closed April 27. Lot 

 1 was fed corn meal, lot 2 red Kafir corn meal, and lot 3 white Kafir corn 

 meal. In every case 10 lbs. of grain was fed per head daily, since it 

 was found that a larger amount than this was not eaten up clean. 

 Each lot was fed 100 lbs. of well-cured Kafir corn fodder, the uneaten 

 residue being weighed back in every case. A little corn fodder and, 

 near the close of the experiment, a little alfalfa hay were also fed. The 

 financial statement is based on corn meal and Kafir corn meal at 30 cts., 

 corn stover and Kafir corn stover at 12£ cts., and alfalfa at 20 cts. per 

 100 lbs. The steers were purchased for $3.52 and sold for $4.50 per 

 hundred. The details of the experiment are reported in full. The 

 average results were as follows: 



Results of feeding steers. 



Average 

 weight 

 at begin- 

 ning. 



Average Grain 



daily eaten per 



gain in pound of 

 weight. gain. 



Lot 1 (corn meal) 



Lot '_' (red Kafir corn meal) 

 Lot 3 (white Kafir corn meal) 



Pounds. 

 1,036 



1,021 

 1.025 



Pounds. Pounds. 

 1.80 | 9.97 



1.71 10.86 



1. 78 10. 41 



Coarse 

 fodder 



eaten per 



pound of 



gain. 



Pounds. 



5.69 

 6.88 

 6.92 



Cost per 



pound of 



gain. 



Cents. 

 3.73 

 4.15 

 4.01 



Profit 

 per 

 head. 



$9. 52 

 8.99 

 8.40 



Practically the same gains were made by the 3 lots. 



In order to determine the percentage undigested of the 3 grains the 

 authors collected the manure from each lot for 33 days at the beginning 

 of the experiment. Each day the manure was washed with water and 

 constantly agitated. "This caused the manure particles to rise to the 

 top and float away with the water, while the undigested meal settled to 

 the bottom. Only an insignificant portion of the finest of the meal 

 could be lost by this treatment." The amount of grain uudigested is 

 shown in the following table: 



Digestibility of grain fed to steers. 



Lot 1 (corn meal) 



Lot '1 (red Kafir corn meal). . . 

 Lot 3 (white Kafir corn meal) 



Grain 

 eaten. 



3, (108 

 3,008 



Weight 



(dry) 

 of grain 

 washed 

 from ma- 



Pounds. 

 162. 77 



340. :i(i 

 4-JD. 09 



Grain undi- 

 gested. 



Per cent. 

 5.46 

 11.27 

 14.13 



The corn meal was better digested than either the red or white Kafir 

 corn meal. The authors remark that, although the grains were all 

 ground in the same mill, the corn was more finely ground than the 

 Kafir corn. 



