122 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



us of a i)()und of live beef reckoned in the same way is 4.34 

 cents. Only l)y reckoning the maiuire at a maximum vahie 

 have we been able to produce live beef at 4.34 cents per 

 pound, the cost of attendance not being included. It must 

 be rememl)ered, however, that our coarse fodders and grains 

 were charged at market rates. 



While the results do not present a favorable financial show- 

 ing, they teach several lessons. In the first place, the writer 

 thinks it would be policy to begin with calves instead of 600- 

 pound steers. The rate of growth of very youug stock is 

 much more rapid, and it would be interesting to .see if they 

 could not be grown cheaper than they could l)e purchased. 

 In the second place, more attention must be gi\'cn to the 

 kind of steer grown. We must have steers that will grow 

 more rapidly than those experimented with. Just as there 

 are good and poor milch cows, so there are good and poor 

 growing steers. Feed, it must be remembered, is only sec- 

 ondary. We must first have the cow bred with a capacity 

 for milk production, and then help her to produce maximum 

 yields by properly feeding her ; and in just the same way we 

 must have the steer so bred as to grow rapidly, then, by judi- 

 cious and economical feeding, seek to get the greatest growth 

 at the mininnmi cost for feed. The writer believes that by 

 beginning with young calves from animals that have extra 

 reputation for rapid growth, and following a judicious sys- 

 tem of feeding, it will yet be possible to produce beef eco- 

 nomically in Massachusetts. 



