April, '18] COST OF RAISING BEEF CATTLE. 13 



spring than in the fall preceding. The mere fact that an animal 

 is approaching maturity adds some value to the price per pound. 

 For example, the Chicago market during the middle of May last 

 year quoted 400 to 600 pound stockers at S10.50 to $12 per hun- 

 dred weight, whereas the 850 to 1,000 stockers sold at $12 to 

 $13 per hundred weight. The increase in growth that animals 

 make, is, therefore, not the sole compensation for the food and 

 labor necessary to carry beef stock through the winter. They 

 advance into a more valuable class as they grow older. In the 

 case of this experiment had the animals been worth the same 

 per pound in the spring as the fall preceding, which would really 

 mean a drop of about two cents, the total net profit for the lot 

 would have been only $9 instead of 89. In other words, 

 with good beef cattle and good management we could stand a 

 drop of two cents in the spring price and still pay market prices 

 for hay and grain on an economic use of labor. 



There is no probability that beef cattle prices will ever be very 

 low again on stock that is fit for slaughter. There is now a rela- 

 tive shortage of meat and consumption is increasing whereas 

 production is standing still. Our own country before the war 

 had ceased to maintain a surplus of production, a condition which, 

 with a growing population still further increasing consumption, 

 will gradually force the price of beef up rather than down though 

 there may be minor reactions. 



Inducements for Growing Beef Cattle in New Hampshire. 



The primary objective of the experiment was, as already stated, 

 to determine the market value of a grade of hay for which there 

 was no market, in the form of beef; i.e., when fed to growing beef 

 cattle. 



At the outset of the experiment it was assumed that beef grow- 

 ing on pasture would pay a good profit with a good type of grow- 

 ing stock. Beef growing on pasture is a fairly safe proposition 

 as it involves practically no labor and pasture charges are about 

 the same in different localities and from year to year. Further- 

 more, cattle of good quality and of a similar age can be relied 

 upon for fairly definite gains under pasture conditions. 



Our main problem is our long winter or indoor feeding season 

 which involves more labor and the use of feed which is subject 



