202 FARM ANIMALS 



cotton seed meal must be mentioned as one of 

 peculiar importance, both on account of its effect- 

 iveness and the danger which lies in its careless 

 use. Cotton seed meal has long been known to 

 produce poisonous effects when fed in undue 

 quantities to farm animals. It is less likely, how- 

 ever, to injure beef steers, dairy cows and horses 

 than pigs. Recent experiments seem to indicate, 

 however, that this is largely due to the fact that it 

 is not fed to the larger farm animals in as high a 

 proportion to the body weight as is the case with 

 pigs. The actual cause of the poisonous effects of 

 cotton seed meal on pigs is unknown, but numer- 

 ous experiments have developed methods of avoid- 

 ing the bad effects of cotton seed meal while secur- 

 ing all of its great efficiency in the production of 

 pork. It appears that the poisonous effect of cot- 

 ton seed meal is a matter of dosage or the amount 

 fed. Small amounts may be fed indefinitely, but 

 larger amounts only for short periods. The safe 

 ration is determined by the amount per day and 

 the body weight rather than by the total amount 

 fed. At the Arkansas Experiment Station the 

 safe limits have been carefully worked out and have 

 been proposed as follows: For pigs under fifty 

 pounds, one-fourth of a pound of cotton seed meal 

 per day; for pigs between fifty and seventy-five 

 pounds, one-third of a pound of cotton seed meal 

 per day; for pigs between seventy-five and one 

 hundred pounds, two-fifths of a pound per day; 

 for pigs between one hundred and one hundred and 

 fifty pounds, one half of a pound per day. In 

 addition to these proportions according to live 

 weight, the proportion of cotton seed meal should 

 be about one to five or eight of the other grains fed 

 at the same time while a greater insurance against 



