CATTLE-FEEDING IN NEW YORK. 305 



feeding, asking in return payment only for the food furnished, finding 

 the profit wholly in the manure, 



A few years later I fed ten bead of three-year-old steers for one hun- 

 dred days, keeping an accurate account of the daily ration, their increase 

 every thirty days, and for the whole period. They were largely of short- 

 horn blood, (sired by a seven-eighths blood bull,) had been well raised, 

 as that term is generally understood, and accustomed from calf hood to 

 be handled and stabled. They averaged 1,210 pounds, and cost 4i cents, 

 or $54.45 per head. Being in a thrifty condition, and accustomed to good 

 shelter, they took most kindly to their new quarters when put up No- 

 vember 20. Regarding this as a favorable lot of steers for rapid fatten- 

 ing, we gave the following combined ration, made by grinding together 

 10 bushels of corn, 5G0 pounds; 8 bushels of oats and pease grown to- 

 gether, 384 pounds; and 1 bushel of flax seed, 56 pounds ; making 1,000 

 pounds. This is the proportion, and, when evenly mixed and ground 

 fine, furnishes a fattening ration so complete that little improvement 

 can be made upon it. At the time mentioned this ration cost $1.10 per 

 100 pounds. The first two weeks 10 pounds of this was mixed with 2i 

 bushels of cut-straw, and all well steamed together, as the daily ration 

 of each steer, given in two feeds, morning and evening, with six pounds 

 of long hay at noon. This proportion of flaxseed makes the ration just 

 laxative enough for health, and its oil is also worth all it costs in laying 

 on fat ; the corn is very rich in starch, and the pease and oats in albumi- 

 noids ; and the straw is so softened by the steaming and so permeated 

 with the flavor of the grain as to give it a fine relish for the steers. In 

 fact, this cooked ration with straw is eaten as eagerly as if mixed with 

 hay. About 2 ounces of salt is added for each steer before steaming. 

 At the commencement of the third week the grain-ration was increased 

 to 11 pounds. These steers seemed as contented in their new quarters 

 as if they had been raised in them. This demonstrated the advantage 

 of buying those animals for feeding that have been accustomed to the 

 comforts of a good stable. At the end of the first thirty -days these ten 

 steers had gained an average of 75 .pounds each, or 2^ pounds per day. 

 Two steers that appeared more perfectly formed than any of the 

 rest were weighed when first put up, and turned the scale on 2,500 

 pounds, and on being weighed now were found to have gained together 

 180 pounds, or 3 pounds each i)er day. The ration was increased 2 

 pounds for the next thirty days. Care was taken to feed only so much 

 as was eaten with a relish, and 13 pounds of grain of this combination 

 was found to be all that would be eaten clean by these steers of over 

 1,300 pounds' weight. At the end of the second thirty days the average 

 gain was found to be 100 pounds, or 3^ pounds per day; The ration for 

 the next and last period of thirty days was increased to 15 pounds of 

 grain, and the gain for this period was also an average of 100 pounds 

 per head. These steers were then sold at G^ cents per pound, and the 

 account stood thus : 



10 steers, 12,100 pounds, at 41 cents $544 50 



11,560 pounds of grain, at $L10 127 16 



5,400 pounds of Lay, at 60 cents 32 40 



13,500 pounds of straw, at 40 cents 54 00 



758 06 

 Cr. 



By 10 steers, 14,850 pounds, at 6i cents 929 12 



Balance to pay labor and i^rofit , 169 06 



20 A 



