68 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



common sens© is the best guide. In feeding we should try to imi- 

 tate manure and feed a ration of a succulent nature ; by so doing 

 we will keep the animal's digestive system in a good condition. 

 Now, some folks have trouble feeding cotton seed meal. We had 

 trouble last winter in our cattle feeding experiment at Odobolt, 

 in feeding cotton seed meal to cattle. Cotton seed is different 

 from oil meal. Oil meal aids digestion and when fed to dairy 

 cows makes butter fat soft. Cotton seed, on the contrary, has a 

 tendency to constipate the animal and when fed to the dairy 

 animal makes butter hard in texture. I think the real trouble does 

 not come from poison of the cotton seed but it is a miatter of indi- 

 gestion. I know men who have fed cotton seed meal with silage 

 and got the best of results from the combined ration. Silage is 

 easily digested and keeps the system in good shape ; not that silage- 

 is a feed in itself. Tt is not. You have to feed something ' else 

 with it. It is one of the things which we should have. 



Me. Fox: Tt is not out of prejudice that T ask the question. 

 A friend of mine years ago, living on a farm adjoining my own, 

 fed his cattle somewhat as I have indicated and I frequently 

 observed tin- difference between his cattle and mine. I think his 

 cattle were better than mine which were fed on dry feed. They 

 were more tender when they were turned out in the weather from 

 the bam ; did not seem so* vigorous ; and I came to the conclusion, 

 that for cattle that were fed and turned out doors, silage was not 

 just the thing. However, I think inside of the barn where proper 

 ventilation is had. perhaps it is a cheaper feed, and I am not pre- 

 pared to say it is not better than any other way. 



Professor Kennedy: You will find if you keep cattle in a 

 warm barn and turn them out they will hump their backs; but 

 you can feed cattle silage out in open lots and you will not notice 

 any very marked difference. It is not due to the difference in 

 feeding. 



Professor IIoldex : Mr. Chairman, this feeding experiment 

 <>f which Professor Kennedy has spoken, I happen to know con- 

 siderable about. They were fed on a farm, twenty-five in each 

 bunch, and 3.73 fed corn and silo, made good gains and as much 

 increase in beef as 5.20 of their corn fed stock. And in rocrard to- 



