No. 4.] BEEF PRODUCTION IN NEW ENGLAND. 77 



The figures for fat in the foods are given, as fat burning 

 gives forth about two and one-half times tlie heat units that 

 the starch of foods does, and purchasers of foods should take 

 this into consideration. The theoretical value of foods for 

 manure given in the same table are taken from data given 

 by Professor Armsby. 



From the right-hand column it will be seen that tlie 

 manurial values of foods are too markedly valuable to Avar- 

 rant neglect in buying. If the manure of cotton-seed meal 

 is worth $9.88 in practice more than from corn meal in the 

 residue left after feeding, it should be fed when the prices 

 of the two feeds are less apart than now, and until the fat- 

 tening i)eriod forces the use of corn meal to protect the 

 color of the fat and the quality of the carcass. I have used 

 cotton-seed meal with good and economical results as a 

 fertilizer when its nitroo^en sells for less than nitroiifen in 

 the form of chemicals. 



The Cost of Beef. 

 An approximate estimate of the cost of growing 1,250 

 pounds of steer can be made from existing data. Careful 

 calculations show that the manure of the purchased grains, 

 if protein or rich in nitrogen, will pay rent of building and 

 attendance or care of cattle, and more than do this if the 

 attendant's time is fully occupied. The grains for a series 

 of years will probabl}^ be secured for 1 cent a pound. The 

 coarse foods may be rated at |10 per ton. Passing the 

 details by months and roughly approximating the averages 

 I estimate the GOO-pound steer (the average growing weight 

 of the one under consideration) to consume in the 700 days 

 allotted for his growth, covering two winters, — with 4 

 pounds per day the first winter after October birth, 3 pounds 

 to pasture during the first summer, 6 pounds per day the 

 second winter and summer, — 3,350 pounds of grain, or .78 

 per cent of live Aveight daily. He will consume of hay, or 

 coarse food in the equivalent of hay, 2 per cent of live weight 

 daily, or 5,300 pounds, costing $26.50. Pasturing first 

 year $4, and |(3 the second year. No skim-milk is included, 

 as grain and hay are included from the start in amounts fully 



