482 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



At the beginning of the trial 20 pigs, averaging 142 lbs. each in weight, followed 

 each lot of steers, receiving no feed in addition to what they could gather. The 

 gains made were small and at the end of 8 weeks the number in each case was dimin- 

 ished to 10. The pigs were not in good condition for market at the close of the test 

 and were marketed later. Omitting data for the cotton-seed meal lot (No. 3) the 

 total amount gained by the 10 lots of pigs was 506, 465, 362, 427, 435, 540, 435, 525, 

 397, and 707 lbs., respectively. The small gain made by lot 3 is explained by the 

 fact that the cotton-seed-meal steers, which they followed, were fed only a part of 

 the test. 



Analyses are reported of the feeding stuffs used in the tests. Definite conclusions 

 are not drawn from this trial, as according to the authors further experiments are 

 needed. It is purposed to continue this line of investigation. 



duality in beef, H. M. Cottrell and V. M. Shoesmith {Kansas Sta. But. Ill, 

 pp. 24, ph. 15, fig. 1) . — Six steers were fed and slaughtered for the purpose of demon- 

 strating to a class of students the effects of breeding, form, etc., on the quality of beef 

 produced. Two of the steers were of the beef breeds, 2 dairy breeds, and 2 scrubs. 

 During the whole test, which covered 205 days, the steers were fed corn, corn 

 chop, and alfalfa hay. The Shorthorn and the 2 scrubs weighed about 1,050 lbs. 

 each at the beginning of the test and the other steers on an average about 875 lbs. 

 The average results of the test follow: 



Average results of feeding steers of different types. 



Type of steer. 



Shorthorn 



Angus 



Jersey 



Holstein 



Scrub, red 



Scrub, spotted. 



Total 

 gain. 



Pounds. 

 395 



288 

 348 

 411 

 435 

 306 



Corn 

 eaten 

 per lb. 



of 

 gain. 



Alfalfa 



hay eaten 



per lb. 



of gain. 



Pounds. 

 9.78 



11.38 

 9.36 

 8.16 

 7.70 



10.43 



Pounds. 

 5.46 

 5.04 

 5.98 

 5- 08 

 4.91 

 6.92 



Per- 

 centage 



of 

 dressed 



beef. 



Per cent. 

 63.5 

 62.6 

 69.5 

 .59.6 

 59.8 

 59.7 



Per- 

 centage 



of 

 tallow. 



Per cent. 

 6.0 

 4.2 

 7.6 

 4.5 

 4.0 

 6.2 



Per- 

 centage 

 of hide. 



Per cent. 

 6.0 

 6.9 

 7.0 

 6.7 

 6.4 

 6.1 



Cost of 



feed per 



lb. of 



gain. 



Cents. 

 3.75 

 3.75 

 2.85 

 3.25 

 3.25 

 3.25 



Value 



of 

 dressed 

 carcass 

 per lb. 



Cents. 

 8. .50 

 7.50 

 8.00 

 7.75 

 7.50 

 7.00 



The beef was cut up by the Kansas City method. The authors state that the beef- 

 grade steers (the Shorthorn and Angus) furnished 27.8 per cent of the high-priced 

 cuts, viz., loin and rib, the dairy grades (Jersey and Holstein) 27.5 per cent, and 

 the scrubs 26.7 per cent. There was a loss to the slaughterers in every case unless 

 the value of the offal was taken into account. In the opinion of those making the 

 test the beef from all the steers was of good flavor, ranking in this respect about in 

 the order of the prices at which the dressed carcasses we -e valued. 



"This trial shows what every careful test has shown, that steers of the dairy breeds, 

 properly fed, will make good beef — beef better than that usually found on the market 

 but not of as high quality as that secured from well-bred special beef animals." 



Fattening steers without hog's to follow, H. ]\I. Cottrell and J. G. Haney 

 (A'«?(.s«.s- Sta. Bui. 112, pp. 25-36, ph. 2). — According to the authors pigs can not 

 profitably be employed, owing to losses from hog cholera, to follow cattle and utilize 

 the waste which attends the ordinary methods of feeding. A test covering 116 days 

 was, therefore, undertaken to learn whether the steers would not utilize ground grain 

 and cut hay more economically than ordinary feeding stuffs, 4 lots of 20 steers each, 

 averaging 1,036 lbs. in weight, being used. Lots 1 and 2 were fed shelled corn and 

 lots 3 and 4 corn meal, lots 1 and 3 receiving whole alfalfa hay and lots 2 and 4 alfalfa 

 hay cut into inch lengths. The alfalfa hay was gradually substituted for prairie hay. 

 After ] 1 weeks soy-bean meal was fed to all the steers for 26 days, as much as 4 lbs. 

 per head daily being given during a part of the time. This feed caused excessive 



