FOODS — ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 977 



"The Cotswolds again lead, with the Lincolns and Leicester* closely following. 

 The general average for the Southdowns and Shropshire* is the same, and their rank 

 is next to the long- wooled breeds for economy of production, and in this they are fol- 

 lowed closely by the Dorsets, and they in turn by the Oxfords and Suffolks. . . . 

 The whole number of lambs, 109 in the first experiment and 91 in the second, not 

 including the ewes, made a total gain of 8,246 lbs. from 69,134 lbs. (dry matter) of 

 feed — a rate of 1 lb. of gain for 8.38 lbs. of dry matter in the feed consumed, and ;ni 

 average of 0.448 lb. per head daily for the entire lot. The total gain of 8,246 lbs. was 

 made at a cost of $245.69 for feed consumed, or an average cost of 2.97 cts. per pound 

 for the mutton produced in both experiments. This calculation makes no allowance 

 for the value of the fleece, except as it entered into the gain, nor does it take into 

 account the value of the manure or expense of labor in feeding." 



At the close of the test the wethers were sold in Chicago for from 

 $5 to $5.75 per hundred, and the ewes for $5.65. The dressed weight 

 of the wethers was 49.27 to 55.20 per cent of the live weight, and the 

 dressed weight of the ewes 54.55 per cent. A detailed record is given 

 in tabular form of the slaughter test, which shows the net weight of the 

 several parts of the carcass and of the internal organs and their per- 

 centage of the whole. The carcasses were cut up and the meats judged 

 by an expert. In his opinion the Southdowns and the Shropshire ewes 

 ranked highest in the value of the mutton ; the Oxfords, Lincolns, and 

 Leicesters next, and the Suffolks, Dorsets, and Merinos lowest. 



The sheep were not shorn as in the former experiment. The value of 

 the fleece was calculated from the combined weight of pelts and wool. 



Feeding range lambs, C. P. Curtiss and J. W. Wilson (Iowa Sta. 

 Bui. 35, pp. 750-758, figs. J). — A test was made with 252 range lambs 

 to study the possibilities of profitable feeding under local conditions. 

 The lambs were divided into 4 lots of 63 each, and consisted of the 

 following breeds: Lot 1, Merinos (shorn); lot 2, Cross Wools; lot 3, 

 Down Coarse, and lot 4, Merinos (unshorn). The lambs were purchased 

 November 3. The feeding experiment began December 1 and lasted 

 110 days. Until the beginning of the feeding trial the lambs were 

 pastured on blue grass and given a light ration of bran and oats morn- 

 ing and evening. They also had access to hay during the night. During 

 the experiment proper they were fed a ration consisting of oats, corn, 

 linseed meal, and bran, with mangel- wurzels and hay in addition. At 

 the beginning of the test the lambs ate less than J lb. of the mixed 

 grain per day, at the end of the first mouth only J lb., while the hay 

 consumed per day was at first as high as 3£ lbs. per head. The amount 

 of hay consumed gradually decreased to about 2 lbs. at the end of the 

 test and the amount of grain increased. 



The financial statement is based on the following prices per 100 lbs. : 

 Bran and oats, 35 cts. ; hay and shelled corn, 20 cts. ; linseed meal, 90 

 cts., and roots, 5 cts. 



The foods consumed and the gains made by the different lots are 

 given in full. The average weights of the lambs in the different lots 

 at the beginning were as follows : Lot 1, 46.9 lbs. ; lot 2, 52.8 lbs. ; lot 3, 



