ANIMAL PEODUCTION. 867 



Relation of steer feeding to farm returns, C. A. Willson (Tennessee Sta. 

 Bui. 114 {1915), pp. 79-110, figs. 6). — This is a restatement and continuation of 

 work previously noted (E. S. R., 20, p. 665). The primary object of these ex- 

 periments was to determine tlie amounts of beef tliat an acre of land would 

 produce if the crops grown upon it were fed to live stock. 



Seven 1-acre plats of the following crop rotations were grown, as follows : 

 Plat 1, soy beans and barley ; plat 2, cowpoas and barley ; plat 3, corn and 

 barley ; plat 4, soy-bean hay and barley ; plat 5, soy beans and wheat ; plat 6, 

 soy-bean hay and oats ; and plat 7, alfalfa. During seven years, from 1908 to 

 1914, inclusive, the average annual beef production per acre was 508, 451, 434, 

 435, 402, 456, and 515 lbs., for the respective lots. 



The experiments indicated that better results in beef production can be 

 secured from the rotation of soy beans and barley than from any other com- 

 bination of crops tested. The alfalfa acre ranked first in yield of beef for 

 three years and last for one year. In beef yield it was the ranking acre, but 

 has not been on experiment so long as some of the others. The soy-bean and 

 barley acre ranked ahead of it in gross returns per acre, being first for two 

 years, second for two years, never lowest, and for five of the seven years among 

 the upper half of the acres in beef production. Oats and soy-bean hay have 

 been on experiment for only four years, and although they have made a good 

 showing for that time not enough results have been obtained to warrant the 

 drawing of conclusions. The cowpea and barley acre has not averaged so 

 well as the soy-bean and barley acre. It has never ranked first in production, 

 but has, however, for three years produced more than 500 lbs. of beef per acre. 

 The corn and barley acre thus far has proved to be nearly the poorest of the 

 acres for the production of beef, ranking five years out of the seven in the 

 lower division. The use of corn and barley as a rotation for the growing and 

 finishing of beef cattle is not recommended as compared with soy beans and 

 barley. 



The beef produced was valued at 6 cents per pound, the silage fed at $3 per 

 ton, and it was assumed that there would be a margin of $1 on 1,000-lb. steers 

 for the 60- to 90-day feeding period. On this basis it is calculated ' that the 

 gross returns per acre were $61.23, $58.94, $56.92, $57.07, $55.99, $59.23, and 

 $58.91, for the respective lots. 



These experiments were so conducted as also to determine whether it would 

 be better to feed the crops grown in a short feeding period with a heavy ration, 

 or to feed a lighter grain ration and thus extend the time for finishing. When 

 fed for 90 days on the lighter grain ration the average gain per acre was 584, 

 447, 527, 492, 354, 570, and 515 lbs. for the respective lots, while when fed for 

 60 days on a heavy ration the average gains per acre were 375, 453, 301, 277, 

 417, and 417 lbs. for the respective lots. The steers on the 90-day feed made 

 33 per cent larger gains than the steers on the 60-day feed, owing to a greater 

 utilization of the roughages grown on each acre. Also the increased finish 

 which the steers on 90-day feed put on would probably make them bring from 

 0.25 to 0.5 ct. more per pound than the steers on 60-day feed. 



Data on the prices obtained for grains and hay by marketing through steers 

 by the foregoing methods are given, also the prices the grains must sell at 

 when not fed to make up for fertility returned by steers when fed. 



Profits and losses in cattle feeding' {Wallaces' Farmer, 41 {1916), No. 10, 

 p. 398, fig. 1). — A chart is given which shows the relation over a long period of 

 years between cattle and corn prices. During 1914 and 1915 cattle lost money 

 to the average feeder. During January, 1916, the loss was about $13 per head 

 and during Februai'y about $12. Better conditions for the near future are 

 indicated. 



