85 



tions. Wlu'i! calves, they liad niillc IVoiii tlic cow or pail, but as they 

 arcw older this was ('han<2:e<l to a ration of grain <uk1 cut hay, Avith 

 varying- (piantities of I'oots and silage. 



Tables are given which record the daily ration, weight, and gain of 

 each animal during several months of each year of the experiment: 

 and also for each steer, during" each yeai", the total grain, hay. I'oots, 

 and silage eaten, cost of feetl, weight at the end of each year, gain per 

 day, and cost ]ier pound of gain. The steers were ke))t in I'oonn' box 

 stalls, wi'll supplied v itli bedding. During (he hot wcathei- i\wy ran 

 on short pasture at niglit, and during cooler weathei' in the daytime. 

 In the fall of the thii'd year the steers were exhiliited at se\iM'al agri- 

 cultural faii-s in dili'eriMit i)arts of the State and at the Chicago l''nt 

 Stock Show. ^\'hile at the latter place one animal of each breed was 

 slaughtei'cd. The bulletin contains the rejiorts of committees ap- 

 l)ointe(l by the State Uoard of Agriculture on tlie rehitive merits of 

 tlie diti'erent animals bc't'ore slaughtering and also on the carcasses of 

 the ditl'eivnt breeds. Kecords of each of the six slaughtered steers 

 and of six i)rize steers of l<s8s. taken for purjxjses of comparison, 

 are given in tables under the following headings: Live weight at 

 slaughter: weight of dressed carcass after hanging tliirty-six hours; 

 ].er cent of jionnds net as comjijired with gross weight: weight of 

 liide. tallow, fat. head, tongue. li\er, heirt, lu.ngs, paunch, entrails, 

 and trinnnings: age in days on November 13 (one week before 

 slaughtering) : ]i\'e weight on same (Uiy, and gain per day from bii'th. 

 .Knother table shows the weight of dressed quarters of each of the 

 animals w ,ri\ in the experiment. Illustrations are given from ])ho- 

 tographs of cuts of beef from the diti'erent animals. 



ConcJii.s/ons. — Among the inferences drawn are the following: 



(1) The judgments of the feeder, butcher, and consumer are likely 

 to dill'er greatly as regards the live animal, the carcass, and the edible 

 qualities of the meat. 



(2) Estinuites of the comp'aiTitive value of breeds are too often 

 based on prejudice, residting from lack of information. 



( ;■> ) Cah'es properly fed from tlie pail will grow as well as if 

 allowed to follow the cow. 



( 1) "The quality of beef ]u-o(lu.ce(l by a combined grain ration, in 

 which w heat bran. oats, and some oil form the prii!ci])al part, is ])ref- 

 erable to that produced \)\ an exclusi\-ely corn ration." 



( .") ) There is no pi'olit in raising (ircrcf/c native steei's whicii will 

 weigh from 1.100 to l.;)00 pounds at three years, though there may be 

 in I'aising i lioi-nuf/lihi-ctl steei's ^\lli{•h will wei^'h from .^00 to SOO 

 pounds more at the same age. "The value of good bl')od for beef 

 i)roduction can not be o\'erestimated."* 



((■)) The co>t i)er pound of raising steers undei' th.e sani'- conditions 

 varie- bm little with dillerent breeds. 



