688 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



"To an American the striking features of European methods are the large use made 

 of roots, linseed and cotton cake, the large proportion of roughage to concentrates 

 fed, the dependence placed on pasture and other green feed, the attention paid to 

 the preparation of the feed, and the effort to use everything grown on the farm. 

 Furthermore, although the most intensive methods are used to fatten cattle for mar- 

 ket, the general tendency among breeders is to maintain breeding stock in good 

 condition, but to avoid the extremely fleshy condition which often leads to barren- 

 ness and impotency. 



" Roots are most extensively used in cattle production in England and Scotland, 

 and these crops are very highly valued. They are fed to dairy cattle as well as to beef 

 animals, but when feeding them to milch cows the best dairymen take pains to 

 avoid tainting the milk by their use. Mangel-wurzels (commonly called mangels or 

 mangolds), turnips, and ruta-bagas (commonly called swedes) are usually grown in 

 Great Britain. In the continental countries, especially in France and Germany, the 

 sugar beet and sugar-beet pulp are used. In some cases carrots are fed, especially 

 to calves, and in the island of Guernsey parsnips are used." 



As was the case with cattle, considerable diversity was noted in the methods of 

 feeding sheep and pigs. The rations fed to these animals and to cattle are in many 

 cases described in detail, the amounts of the different feeding stuffs used being 

 recorded. It is the author's belief that European methods can not be adopted by 

 American farmers without change, but that probably many features may be 

 applicable to our conditions. 



Special interest attaches to the section devoted to bacon production on account of 

 the acknowledged excellence of the English, Irish, and Danish bacon. 



The sheep industry of England, Scotland, Ireland, and France, W. J. 

 Kennedy ( U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Anim. Indus. Circ. 81, pt. 2, pp. 71-87). — A reprint 

 from the publication noted above. 



The score card in stock breeding, G. M. Rommel ( U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Anim. 

 Indus. Bid. 76, pp. 54, figs. 7). — This bulletin is made up of a compilation of the 

 score cards used by breeders' associations in the United States certified by the Sec- 

 retary of Agriculture and is intended as a supplement to Bulletin 61 of the Bureau 

 (E. S. R., 16, p. 587). The material comprises standards for horses, beef cattle, hogs, 

 and sheep, but does not include those for dairy cattle. 



Cattle feeding experiment, H. R. Smith (Nebraska Sta. Bui. 90, pp. 24, figs. 7). — 

 Using 5 lots of 10 2-year-old steers, the relative merits of different sorts of coarse 

 fodder as a supplement to corn were studied. 



The experimental rations were made up of shelled corn with prairie grass hay, 

 alfalfa hay, and alfalfa hay and corn stover; and of corn and oil meal 9: 1 with prairie 

 grass hay and with sorghum hay. In the 24 weeks covered by the test the average 

 daily gain per head ranged from 1.9 lbs. on corn and prairie hay to 2.4 lbs. on corn, 

 alfalfa hay, and corn stover. The greatest range in cost of feed per pound of gain 

 was from 6.49 cts. on the last mentioned ration to 8.27 cts. on the ration consisting 

 of corn, oil meal, and prairie hay. 



The coarse fodder required per pound of gain ranged from 3.82 lbs. w 7 ith the lot fed 

 sorghum hay to 5.19 lbs. with the lot fed corn and prairie hay, and the grain eaten 

 per pound of gain from 7.89 lbs. on the ration containing corn stover to 9.52 lbs. on 

 the corn and prairie hay ration. The greatest profit, $3.32 per steer, w r as obtained 

 with the alfalfa and corn stover ration, and the smallest, $1.09 per steer, with the 

 corn, oil meal, and prairie hay ration. Some of the author's conclusions follow: 



" When the ration consisted of corn and prairie hay, the amount of grain required 

 for each pound of gain w T as lessened 5 per cent by adding oil meal to the grain 

 ration. 



1 ' The cost of producing a pound of gain was not lessened by the addition of oil 



