ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 189 



industry in Argentina arc discussed and data summarized regarding the character of 



the cattle raised, export trade, profits received, and related topics. According to the 

 author, "at the rate of one animal to 8J acres, the usual average carrying capacity of 

 native grasses, alfalfa makes land for grazing purposes worth five to eight times as 

 much as it was before alfalfa took the place of the native grasses. 



"The proposition to feed dry alfalfa and corn has applied only to steers for export 

 alive, but it is hound to be applied also to those destined for chilled beef, for expe- 

 rience is gradually teaching Argentine beef producers that a grass or alfalfa fed steer 

 can not compete with a corn-fed steer. The latter will he sounder, more solid, and 

 his carcass will cut up to much better advantage. The corn-fed beef is worth more 

 to the pound, because it is firmer and has less water in it than that of animals fattened 

 on green alfalfa or grass only." 



Alfalfa is fed both green and cured. The profits in raising this crop for hay and 

 methods of stacking and marketing the hay are spoken of. .Many of the cattle in 

 Argentina are wild and difficult to handle. Dehorning, etc., are facilitated by the 

 use of a long chute called a brete, the construction of which is described. 



Steer and lamb feeding, J. J. Vernon {New Mexico Sta. Bui. 50, pp. ./'.", />/•-•'. 

 6). — The present status of the cattle and sheep industry in New Mexico, the manage- 

 ment of cattle ranges, and similar questions are discussed and experiments to deter- 

 mine the possibility of profitably fattening stock under existing conditions are 

 reported. In the sheltered New Mexico valleys the climate is so mild that animals 

 need no protection in winter except such as is afforded by a wind-break. 



In the first test 3 lots of 3 steers, each weighing about 1,900 lbs., were fed for 192 

 days during the winter. On alfalfa hay alone the steers made an average daily gain 

 of 1.36 lbs. per head; those fed alfalfa hay and shredded Kafir-corn stover, 1.49 lbs., 

 and those fed alfalfa hay and shredded corn stover, 1.16 lbs. The feed required per 

 pound of gain was 17.82 lbs. on alfalfa hay alone, and the cost of a pound of gain 

 0.24 cts. Similar values for the Kafir-corn stover ration were 15.23 lbs. ami 5. IS cts., 

 and for the corn-stover ration 17.93 lbs. and 6.17 cts. The dressed weight was great- 

 est with the alfalfa lot, 53.24 per cent, and least with the corn-stover lot, 51.3 per 

 cent. 



The second test was made with 4 lots of 8 steers each and covered 70 days in the 

 winter. All the steers were fed alfalfa hay, lot 1 receiving in addition about one- 

 third of a ration of corn, lot 2 a full ration of corn, and lot 3 about one-third of a 

 ration of wheat, and bran 3:1. The average daily gain ranged from 1.22 lbs. per 

 head with lot 1 (alfalfa and a limited corn ration) to 1.62 lbs. with lot 3 (alfalfa and 

 mixed grain). In the case of the latter lot the smallest amount of feed, 12.09 lbs., 

 was required per pound of gain, and the greatest quantity, 16.27 lbs., was noted with 

 the former lot. The cost of feed per pound of gain ranged from 4.3 cts. with the 

 steers fed alfalfa only to 6.59 cts. with those fed alfalfa and a limited corn ration. The 

 dressed weight averaged about 51 per cent of the live weight in every case. 



In a test with lambs 30 animals, weighing about 45 lbs. each, were divided into 

 3 uniform lots. In the 128 days of the test the lambs fed alfalfa hay alone made an 

 average daily gain of 0.185 1b.; those fed alfalfa hay, shredded Kafir-corn stover, 

 shredded corn stover, and com, 0.233 lb., and those fed alfalfa hay, shredded Kafir- 

 coin stover, and shredded corn stover, 0.144 lb., the cost of a pound of gain in the 3 

 cases being 4.15, 5.27, and 4.33 cts. The feed required per pound of gain ranged from 

 9,166 lbs. with lot 2 (fed grain) to 13.710 lbs. with lot 3 (alfalfa hay and stover with- 

 out grain). The smallest dressed weight, 47.34 per cent, was noted with the latter 

 lot, and the greatest, 54.31 per cent, with the former. 



Among the conclusions drawn were the following: 



"The results of these experiments indicate that feeding steers and lambs for the 

 local markets will prove remunerative so long as dealers will pay the same price for 

 the home-fed product that they must pay lor the imported article of equal quality. 



