AMIMAL PRODtrCTIOK. 



599 



the amount oi cotton-seed bran was increased. The first test covered 91 days and 

 the other 2 tests 120 days each, tests 1 and 2 being preceded by a preliminary period 

 of 7 days and test 3 l)y a preliminary period of 14 days. At the beginning of the test 

 the average weight of the steers in lots 6 and 10 was 2,648 lbs. and 2,380 lbs., respec- 

 tively. The steers in the other lots weighed on an average from about 3,200 to 3,500 

 ll)s. each. At the close of the test the steers were slaughtered and the quality of the 

 beef judged. The following table shows the principal results of the tests: 



Eesults of feeding native steers. 



The average amount of water consumed per head daily ranged from 23.8 lbs. with 

 lot 6 to 54.9 lbs. with lot 10. The authors discuss the amount which the steers lost 

 in driving them 2 miles to the stock yards and slaughtering, and record the weight 

 of tlie liver and intestinal fat. Estimates are also made of the cost of feeding and 

 care, taking into account the value of the manure produced and also the profits 

 obtauied. Rating feeding stuffs at high prices the least profit, $2.09, per head was 

 obtained with lot 2, and the greatest profit, $7.83, with lot 10. Eating feeding 

 stuffs at low prices the least profit, $3.06, was obtained with lot 2, and the greatest 

 profit, $9.38, with lot 7. 



"Leaving out of consideration the preliminary feeding, very satisfactory gains can 

 be made with native cattle, varying from 1.2 to 2.1 lbs. per head per day, depending 

 largely on the character of the ration fed. With 6 of the groups a gain of practically 

 1.5 lbs. per day was made throughout the entire feeding period." 



The results obtained with silage, cotton-seed meal, and corn meal, according to the 

 authors, show that this ration was the most satisfactory as regards jmlatability and 

 gains made, and it is regarded as the best ration for the average Southern farm. The 

 tests indicate that cowpea hay can frequently be substituted to advantage for cotton- 

 seed meal. Some 6 to 10 lbs. of cowpea hay was satisfactorily substituted in the 

 above test for some 3 to 5 lbs. of cotton-seed meal. 



"As large crops of pea hay can be cheaply produced in the South, it can frequently 

 be utilized to advantage in place of corn and cotton-seed meal, especially when these 

 concentrates are high priced. Pea hay can not be so successfully substituted for cot- 

 ton-seed meal where a succulent ration is fed as a dry ration." 



Succulent rations gave better results than dry rations, the total gain on the former 

 being 761 lbs. more than on the latter. The former was also found to be more 

 profitable. 



"The average results of two years' trials on the University farm show that about 

 7.8 tons of corn silage and 7.2 tons of sorghum silage can be obtamed per acre. The 

 cost of corn silage is $17.08 and the sorghum silage $12.81 per acre. Silage from 



