468 TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 



again, it has come in and is increasing each year. And it promises to be 

 of especial importance during the years to come on account of the in- 

 creasing price of farm labor. 



We do not know, of course, at this time, but it seems altogether 

 probable that it will cost the farmers of Iowa 15 or 20 per cent more to 

 produce next year's crop, and to gather and market those crops, than it 

 has cost this year. That is quite probable in view of the general demand 

 for labor in the industries and the prevailing high prices that are being 

 paid, and the shortage of labor that is existing on the farms today and 

 probably will continue during another year. So it becomes of increasing 

 importance under conditions of this kind to find means of doing the work 

 at less expense, and hogging down corn is one of the ways of doing this 

 successfully and profitably. 



Then in the matter of preparing plans for hog houses, we have fur- 

 nished and sent out to the farmers of the state over 15,000 hog house 

 plans, besides a number for smaller movable houses and self-i'eeders. It 

 would be difficult to estimate, perhaps, what that amounts to, but the 

 better housing and the better care of the hogs on the farms undoubtedly 

 is one of the important factors in successful pork production. On the 

 basis of value of $5 for the plans and the saving of $5 profit — a profit of 

 $5 in better houses over those of inferior type — this would run to a matter 

 of a couple of hundred thousand dollars easily. 



Some of the most important work that we have done has a direct 

 connection with the work of cattle feeding in which you are engaged, and 

 among other lines is that of determining the so-called standard ration, 

 or as nearly as may be a standard ration for the corn belt region. And 

 that ration is found to be mainly shelled corn and clover or alfalfa hay, 

 supplemented by cottonseed oil or linseed oil meal. While we have done 

 a good deal along that line in recent years, and have published and given 

 out to this association and otherwise the results, we have this year in 

 progress work that I think is of special interest bearing upon that subject. 



We have ten lots of two-year-old steers weighing 1,050 pounds, that 

 are being put on feed this week, that were purchased in Omaha at a cost 

 of $7 per hundred, and have been carried on blue grass pasture for about 

 thirty days, and they are going onto feed on the following rations: 



Lot 1 — Shelled corn, corn silage and clover hay. 



Lot 2 — Same as Lot 1, with the addition of one and one-half pounds 

 of linseed oil meal per steer per day. 



Lot 3 — Same as Lot 1, except that they have three pounds of linseed 

 oil meal instead of one and one-half pounds. 



Lot 4 — The same ration except that they will have one and one-half 

 pounds of cottonseed oil meal in place of or in comparison with the one 

 and one-half pounds of oil meal. 



Lot 5 — The same, except three pounds of cottonseed oil meal in com- 

 parison with the three pounds of linseed oil meal. 



Lot 6 — Shelled corn and clover hay alone. 



Lot 7 — The same at Lot 6, with one and one-half pounds of linseed 

 oil meal. 



Lot 8 — The same at Lot 6, with three pounds of linseed oil meal. 



