666 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



" The yields per acre for the 2 years were approximately the same, viz, 34 bu. 

 of corn and 3,544 lbs. of stover, 20 bu. of soy beans and 2,905 lbs. of straw, 

 13 bu. of cowpeas and 1,365 lbs. of straw." The increased gains in weight in 

 1907-8 over those of the previous year is accounted for by the fact that the 

 steers were of a little better quality than those of 1906-7. The cost of growing 

 the corn was $14.86 per acre, the soy beans $13.09 per acre, and the cowpeas 

 $14.51 per acre. Thus, though the three crops cost about the same per acre 

 they gave widely different results when fed. The financial statement is given 

 in full as illustrative of the advantage of growing and feeding legumes to steers 

 from the standpoint of maintaining the fertility of the farm, which is further 

 discussed. 



Steer-feeding- experiments, J. C. Burns {Texas 8ta. Bui. 110, pp. 3-23, 

 figs. 5). — A continuation of previous work (E. S. R., 19, p. 674), but with 

 longer feeding periods. 



There were two sets of feeding experiments. In the first, Kafir corn, milo 

 maize, and molasses were compared with Indian corn for fattening cattle. In 

 the second, cotton seed was compared with cotton-seed meal as a supplement to 

 Kafir corn. Thirty 2-year-old Aberdeen-Angus steers were divided into 5 lots 

 and fed for 120 days. The first 4 lots were fed an average daily ration per 

 head of 3 lbs. cotton-seed meal and 12 lbs. hulls. In addition lot 1 received 17 

 lbs. Indian corn ; lot 2, 17 lbs. Kafir corn ; lot 3, 17 lbs. milo maize ; and lot 4, 

 8 lbs. molasses and 9 lbs. Indian corn. The ration of lot 5 was 17 lbs. Kafir 

 corn, 4 lbs. cotton seed, 1 lb. cotton-seed meal, and 12 lbs. hulls. 



Lot 1 made an average daily gain per head of 2.1 lbs., at a cost of 13.7 cts. 

 per pound. Lot 2 gained 2.47 lbs., at a cost of 10.5 cts. Lot 3 gained 2.12 

 lbs., at a cost of 12.3 cts. Lot 4 gained 2.26 lbs., at a cost of 11.1 cts. Lot 5 

 could be contrasted with lot 2 for only 90 days, for which lot 2 made an average 

 dally gain per head of 2.51 lbs., at a cost of 10.7 cts. per pound, and lot 5 

 gained 2.04 lbs. at a cost of 13.7 cts, per pound. In the slaughter test the 

 results were quite uniform for all the lots, varying only from "60.5 to 61.9 per 

 cent dressed weight. 



The following conclusions were drawn : 



" Kafir corn was cheaper than Indian corn and yielded better gains. 



*' Milcw maize was cheaper than Indian corn and yielded slightly better gains. 



" Molasses very profitably replaced nearly half the Indian corn in a mixed 

 ration of molasses, Indian corn, cotton-seed meal and hulls. 



" Cotton-seed meal at $26 per ton was much more profitable than cotton seed 

 at $12 per ton in supplementing a Kafir corn ration with cotton-seed hulls as 

 roughage." 



Preliminary report on grazing experiments in a coyote-proof pasture, 

 J. T. Jardine and F. V. Coville {U. 8. Dept. Agr., Forest Serv. Cire. 156, pp. 

 32, figs. 2). — This circular reports experiments of the Forest Service, in co- 

 operation with the Bureau of Plant Industry, to devise methods of increasing 

 the forage value of the grazing lands included in the National Forests. At 

 present a large amount of forage is destroyed by herding and trampling. 



To test the action of sheep when protected from marauding animals, a pas- 

 ture of 2,560 acres in the Wallowa National Forest, Oregon, was surrounded 

 with a coyote and wolf-proof fence at a cost of $6,764.31. The fence consisted 

 of a closely barbed hog wire laid along the surface of the ground, a 36-inch strip 

 of woven wire 3 in, above it, a light barbed wire 6 in. above the woven wire, 

 and at the top, 8 in, above the last, a heavy twisted wire without barbs. 

 Animals of prey in the pasture were either killed or driven out. So far the 

 fence has proved to be coyote proof. Grizzly bears managed to get through the 

 fence, though black and brown bears made unsuccessful attempts. Badgers 



