COST OF MAKING BEEF FROM CORN. 253 



and supposes one bushel of corn and one hundred 

 pounds of hay to produce ten pounds of beef in a 

 week. But still the rate of feeding is too low for the 

 best result. In this case the ox would require the 

 entire hay, and about twenty pounds of the corn, in 

 order to hold his condition ; leaving forty pounds of 

 the corn to account for the increased weight. In one 

 of these instances the effect of the feeding shows that 

 three pounds of corn produce a pound of beef, and in 

 the other four pounds of corn give the same result. 

 In both cases, if more corn were given, it would in- 

 crease, not only the gain of flesh, but the rate of profit 

 on the animal. 



According to the principle stated by Mr. Lawes, 

 and established by his experiments, it seems evident 

 that, with a good breed of cattle, from three to four 

 pounds of corn, in addition to the above proportion 

 of other provender, will give a pound of beef. 



There are those who consider the effective value 

 of corn even higher than this, while others place it 

 quite as much below these figures. On the whole, 

 we think it may safely be assumed, that, after the 

 animal has received the amount of food necessary 

 to sustain it, every four pounds of corn in addition 

 will give one pound of beef, provided the meal is 

 properly fed, by being well mixed with the other 

 provender, and thoroughly soaked or steamed. 



Now, taking the case of the steer weighing seven 

 hundred pounds, let us see what the beef would cost 

 per pound by this estimate. The amount of feed per 

 week was assumed to be one hundred and twenty 



