282 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



and was carried on with 4 lots (jf Jo Amep eacli, and 1 lot of 101. The sheep cost, 

 including freight, 4.25 c.ts. per pound. All the lots were fed on blue grass pasture. 

 Lot 2 was fed corn, lot 3 oats, lot 4 barley, and lot 5 corn and oats in addition to 

 the jiasturage. In the case of the latter lot, the oats were fed only for 30 days of 

 the 60 days during which this lot was studied. The other lots were fed for 63 days. 

 The sheep in lots 1 t(^ 4, inclusive, weighed a little under 81 lbs. each at the begin- 

 ning of the trial; those in lot 5 some 7-5 lbs. each. The average daily gain of the 5 

 lots was 0.41, 0.46, 0.42, 0.39, and 0.44 lb. The grain consumed per pound of gain in 

 lots 2 to 5 was 1.7, 1.86, 1.99, and 2.05 lbs. The cost of feed per pound of gain in the 



5 lots was 1.05, 1.95, 2.36, 2.75, and 2.26 cts., respectively. According to the authors, 

 the test indicates that sheep will make practically as large gains on grass alone as on 

 grain and gra.ss. "Corn at 33 cts. per bushel is a more economical grain to feed sheep 

 on grass than oats at 23 cts. or barley at 40 cts." 



"Mutton can be j)roduced nmch more economically during the summer months 

 on grass alone or grain and grass than it can be produced by feeding grain and hay 

 during the fall and winter months. The feeder can oftentimes purchase half-fat 

 lambs during the latter part of Ai)ril or the first part of May, and by grazing them 

 for from 40 to 60 days realize a good profit, due to the advance in market prices dur- 

 ing the latter part of June and the first of July over those ruling in April and the first 

 part of May." 



In the second test the problem of finishing Western wethers for early winter market 

 was studied with 7 lots, special attention being paid to the feeding value of emmer 

 (conunonly called speltz). Lots 1 t(j 4 contained 10 sheep each. There were 15 in 

 lots 5 and 7, and 30 in lot 6. Lots 1 to 4 were fed clover hay, lot 5 grass and rape, 

 and lots 6 and 7 grass. In addition lot 1 was fed emmer, lot 2 soy beans, lot 3 corn 

 and gluten feed 2:1, and lots 4, 5, and 6 corn. All these lots also received a little 

 l)ran during the first few days of the test. The animals receiving grain were given 

 about 4 of a pound per head daily at the beginning of the test, which covered 56 

 days, the amount being increased as the test progressed. The average weight of the 

 sheep in the different lots was not far from 110 lbs. The average daily gain was 0.46, 

 0.41, 0.45, 0.45, 0.45, 0.41, and 0.28. The grain eaten per pound of gain in lots 1 to 



6 was 3.26, 2.29, 3.0, 3.02, 2.41, and 3.01 lbs., respectively, in addition to a little 

 bran. The clover hay eaten by lots 1 to 4 was a little over 4 lbs. per pound of gain. 

 According to the author, the data obtained indicated that for sheep-feeding purposes 

 when corn is worth 40 cts., emmer is worth 26^ cts. per bushel of 35 lbs. When 

 corn is worth 40 cts., soy beans, if they compose the sole grain ration, are worth but 

 45 cts. per bushel. Corn alone when fed in conjunction with clover hay produced 

 larger and more economical gains than the ration of corn, gluten feed, and clover 

 hay. Sheep can be fattened more economically on grass and corn or on grass alone 

 than on emmer and clover hay or the other rations tested. "Soy beans on account of 

 their high protein content should not form the sole grain ration in conjunction with 

 clover hay. Pound for pound corn is more valuable than emmer. Mutton can be 

 produce*! economically on grass alone during the summer months." 



Feeding lambs, II. T. Fkexcii {Idalio >Sta. Bui. S3, pp. 77-86, ph. .^).— Three 

 feeding tests with lambs are briefly reported. In the first 20 selected grade land)S, 

 averaging 75 lbs. each in weight, were fed 36 days to fit them for the Christmas 

 market. They were kejjt in a box stall and given li ll)s. per head daily of whole 

 wheat and oats, in addition to coarse fodder ad libitum. There was an average daily 

 gain of 0.15 lb., and a calculated profit of 87 cts. per head, not deducting the cost of 

 the coarse fodder. In the second test 59 grade lambs, weighing somewhat less than 

 those used in the first trial, were fed for 103 days a ration of pea hay and clover hay, 

 with some corn silage and roots, in addition to a grain ration of 1.1 lbs. of oats and 

 wheat, 1:2. They were kept in box stalls, but were allowed to run in the yard once 

 a day wlicn they were watered. The average daily gain was 0.2 lb. j)er head, the 



