FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X. 683 



rest until about 5 o'clock when they are fed their evening ration of 

 grain. Hay is before them so they can eat as they wish. 



.As the pasture season comes in the spring, the silage is taken away 

 from them and they are on pasture day and night, coming to the stable 

 in the morning and evening for their grain. Of course they are turned 

 onto pasture gradually and with hay in them to prevent scouring. As 

 a rule the gains will be somewhat reduced, although not for a great 

 length of time. 



As fly season and extreme hot weather approaches they are kept in- 

 side during the day time and out on pasture at night. This program is 

 followed until fall, when the heavy frosts come, then they are kept off 

 pasture altogether,' as the grass they consume then has a tendency to 

 scour. When the cooler weather of fall approaches the grain ration is 

 increased in amount as the appetites demand. After taking off pasture 

 the grain mixture is either mixed with the new corn silage or sliced 

 roots. This affords some bulk and sufficient succulence to keep the di- 

 gestive system in good condition. About the time new corn comes in 

 September, some is chopped and given the steers daily; this is some- 

 times mixed in the grain ration and sometimes fed in the stock, how- 

 ever, just in sufficient amounts to make a variety. About the middle 

 of October to the first of Novemher boiled feed is given. At this time 

 barley is substituted for corn and usually some wheat is added. Barley, 

 wheat and whole oats are boiled together, then when fed are mixed with 

 bran and what sliced roots or corn silage are given. Oftentimes it is 

 desirable and found advantageous to sprinkle the feed with molasses. 



The question of milk is oftentimes discussed. If the calves are to 

 be made the best, they must have about all they will take. If a yearling 

 is still nursing, he will be the better for it. 



Another factor which enters into the life of the college steer is that 

 of the students' judging. The cattle are here primarily for the purpose 

 of the students' judging work. Our judging work is carried on mostly 

 from the first v.eek in September until about the tenth of November. 

 During this time every steer is in the class room five days in the week 

 for an average of two hours per day. Last fall the college steers were 

 handled by about 800 students every week for the period mentioned. Be- 

 sides the fall judging they are used by the summer school students from 

 about the fifteenth of June to the middle of July for their judging work. 

 While the steers are putting on fat they are paying for their keep in an 

 educational way. 



WILL FREE TRADE IN MEATS AND GRAIN AFFECT PURE BRED 

 CATTLE BUSINESS? 



BY C. J. MARTIX, CHURDAN, 



(Before Annual Meeting of Iowa Aberdeen Angus Cattle Breeders' Asso- 

 ciation.) 



During the first forty or forty-five years of my life, I spent a vain en- 

 deavor trying to make myself believe that a tariff on all articles that 



