ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 795 



fact that more or less of the meal fed was wasted. It was observed that these steers 

 were more apt to be off their fee<l than those fed a lighter grain ration. In general 

 the author considers that feeding the light grain ration for a long period was much 

 more satisfactory than feeding the forcing ration for a short period. 



In the third test, which covered 5 periods of 28 days each, the comparative merits 

 of feeding in stables and open sheds were studied with 2 lots, each containing 7 

 grade Shorthorn steers of good quality, weighing on an average 1,583.3 and 1,503.9 

 lbs. each, respectively. Both lots were fed corn, bran, oats, and oil cake in addition 

 to hay, the kind and amount of grain varying somewhat in the different periods. In 

 general the object was to decrease the amount of bran and increase the amount of 

 corn as the test progressed. The amount of oats fed was small and they were discon- 

 tinued before the close of the trial. Oil cake was introduced in the second period, 

 and the amount fed was increased as the test progressed. The steers in lot 1, fed 

 indoors, gained on an average 1.74 lbs. per head daily and those in lot 2 (fed in a 

 shed with a yard) gained 2.26 lbs., the cost of a pound of gain being respectively 

 6.47 and 5.61 cts. On an average the steers in lot 1 ate 11.31 lbs. of hay and 13.36 

 lbs. of grain per head daily. Similar values for lot 2 were 10.74 lbs. and 16.21 lbs. 

 The steers were sold for slaughtering, the average profit per steer in lot 1 being $8.38 

 and $10.10 in lot 2. Further experiments are regarded as necessary before definite 

 conclusions can be drawn. 



Wheat r. corn in a ration for fattening steers, K. A. Burnett and H. R. 

 Smith {Nehruskd. Sta. Bui. 73, pp. 10-18). — After a preliminary period of 4 weeks, 

 wheat V. corn was studied with 20 steers used in a test above reported (p. 792), divided 

 into 4 lots in such a way that there were 6 animls in lot 1 and 4 in lot 4, while lots 

 2 and 3 each contained 5. The test began November 1, and covered 23 weeks, being 

 divided into 2 periods of 11 and 12 weeks, respectively. During the first period lots 

 1 and 3 were fed wheat and bran, 4:1, and lots 2 and 4 corn and bran in the same 

 proportion, all the lots being given alfalfa hay in addition. In the second period 

 lots 1 and 3 were fed wheat, corn, and oil meal, 7:1.5:1.5, and lots 2 and 4 corn, wheat, 

 and oil meal 7:1.5:1.5, all receiving in addition alfalfa hay, prairie hay, and'wheat 

 straw about in the proportion of 2: 1:1. At the end of the first period 2 steers in lot 

 1 and 1 in lot 2 were withdrawn for use in class room instruction. Considering the 

 lest as a whole the average gain per steer in the 4 lots was 294, 279, 349, and 326 lbs., 

 respectively; the total grain eaten 2,248, 2,248, 2,425, and 2,424 lbs., respectively, and 

 the total coarse fodder 1,397, 1,397, 1,392, and 1,397 lbs., respectively. On an aver- 

 age it was calculated the steers fed wheat required 11.85 lbs. of feed per pound of 

 grain, and those fed corn 12.48 lbs. The steers were sold and slaughtered, the 

 dressed Aveight of lots 1 and 2 being 64.48 per cent of their live weight and that of 

 lots 3 and 4 being 62.28 per cent. 



"During the period when alfalfa only was fed as roughness the steers were often 

 in too laxative a condition to produce the best results, and the addition of jirairie 

 hay and wheat straw in the ration overcame this trouble in the second period of the 

 experiment. . . . This one experiment is not conclusive evidence that wheat 

 exceeds corn in feeding value, but indicates that the feeding values of wheat is 5 per 

 cent greater than corn for cattle. 



"This experiment indicates that a 6-months' feeding period in this case is more 

 profitable than a 12-months' feeding period, [and] shows a profit of $10.14 per head 

 on summer-fed yearling cattle compared with $19.63 on cattle of the same quality 

 which were on grass only during the summer [p. 792]. Taking the statement for the 

 year, the cattle fed 12 months show a profit of $15.49 against a profit of $21.64 on 

 the cattle fed grain during the winter only. 



"The steers were followed by 20 pigs weighing 1,370 lbs. at the beginning of the 

 test. In addition to what they could gather they were fed a total of 2,878 lbs. of 



21781— No. 8—03 6 



