BREEDS OF BEEF CATTLE 289 



protein to give the high finish and excellent coat required of animals 

 that bring a high price. To approximate this finish in winter feed- 

 ing requires the use of a considerable quantity of expensive grain 

 like cotton seed meal or linseed meal, or the use of clover, cowpea or 

 alfalfa hay for roughage. Fourth, the hog makes larger gains and 

 shows a very much lower death rate in summer than in winter feed- 

 ing. Fifth, there is a considerable saving in labor in summer feeding 

 over winter feeding, in view of the fact that only the grain has to be 

 hauled, and in view of the further fact that as a rule the steers need 

 to be fed but once a day either about sunrise or near sunset. To 

 offset this, however, labor on the average farm is scarce and much 

 higher priced in summer than in winter. The manure is scattered 

 by the cattle themselves, and the hauling of it out upon the ground 

 is dispensed with. Grass is cheaper than hay, as has already been 

 pointed out, and makes better gains. The handling of the roughage 

 is likewise disposed of. (Mo. B. 76.) 



Feeding Two Year Old Steers. With the gradual increase in the 

 price of grain, the feeder is becoming confronted with a new prob- 

 lem. He is in the business for profit and unless the price of animal 

 products increases proportionately with the price of grain, he must 

 decrease expenses or quit the business. The latter is serious for no 

 country can be kept in a prosperous condition without a large number 

 of farm animals, and any condition that tends to hinder the raising 

 of farm animals should be discouraged. 



The amount of grain fed to dairy and beef cattle is changing. 

 Experiments with dairy cows are beginning to show that less grain 

 can be fed, for heavy maximum production than has been the prac- 

 tice to feed. Enormous quantities of grain have been fed, but on 

 account of the increase of its price, farmers of the United States are 

 probably not feeding grain as heavily as in former years. Reports 

 from various parts of the country show that less grain is being fed. 

 A large amount of grain for a short period with fleshy steers or a 

 small amount of grain with considerable roughage for a long period! 

 with thin steers, seems to be giving good results and is apparently 

 finding favor. Reports from the middle and eastern states, are that 

 farmers are looking more to silage, roughing their cattle through the 

 winter and finishing on grass in the spring with less grain than in 

 former years. This may not be very general yet, but it shows that 

 there is a tendency to feed less grain. (Montana B. 78.) 



Silage Fed Cattle Kill the Best. While the percentage of good 

 meat in any of the slaughter tests is thus considerably below what 

 should be a fair standard, it indicates that with improved sires, the 

 standard of beef cattle could be quickly raised in the' state. A grati- 

 fying result of the slaughter test is found in the fact that the silage 

 fed cattle showed the highest per cent of good meat, it being the pre- 

 vailing though erroneous belief of the farmer and butcher that an 

 animal fed succulent food will not kill well. The slaughter testa 

 speak for themselves on that point and sound the death-knell of a 

 prejudiced and absurd belief. The weight of the livers was not ma- 

 terially influenced by the character of the ration fed, though the 



