18i)4.] PUBLIC DOCUMEIST — No. 33. 57 



II. 



FOURTH FEEDING EXPERIMENT WITH STEERS. 



1892-93. 



General Description. 



The experiment here described is a continuation of those 

 published in our previous reports. 



Two grades Shorthorn steers, yearlings, weighing about 

 six hundred pounds each, were used in the experiment. 

 They w^ere quite thin when first received, and cost 3.5 cents 

 per pound of live weight? 



The coarse foods fed were raised upon the station grounds, 

 and consisted principally of corn ensilage, corn stover, hay, 

 green rye and a small quantity of roots. 



The corn for ensilage was cut just as the kernels were 

 glazing. The corn stover was the corn plant remaining 

 after the fully matured ears had l)een removed. 



The grains used were either equal weight parts of wdieat 

 bran and Chicago maize feed or wheat bran and Buflalo 

 gluten feed. 



The quantity of coarse fodders fed depended in all cases 

 upon the individual appetite of the animals. 



The animals were fed and watered twice each day, between 

 five and six o'clock in the mornino- and at five in the after- 

 noon, one-half of the food being given at each time. 



Two distinct feeding periods are described, namely, the 

 first winter and spring seasons and the autumn and second 

 winter seasons. 



Objects of the Experiment. 

 The objects of the experiment were threefold : — 

 /. To ascertain, if -possible, those rations, i. e., combina- 

 tions of food, that would j)roduce the largest growth for the 

 least outlay of money. 



