675 

 INTRODUCTION 



The agricultural methods of the corn belt are in a state of 

 ransition. The settlement of the government lands, thereby pre- 

 senting much farther increase in acreage has given rise to the neces- 

 sity of more intensive methods of farming than have been generally 

 practiced in the past. With these intensive methods, the greatest 

 -oblem is the maintenance of soil fertility. This in turn gives rise 

 the necessity of better methods of live stock farming. 



Believing that the feeding of crops to live stock will, with in- 

 >lligent methods, return greater profits to the farmer in the main- 

 lance of soil fertility and as a means of marketing the products 

 >f the farm than will any other system of farming, adaptable to 

 rerage farm conditions in the corn belt, the Animal Husbandry 

 apartment has been endeavoring to help solve some of the prob- 

 is confronting the live stock feeders of the State. For several 

 irs this station has been securing data on the best rations for fat- 

 ling steers. In these feeding trials an effort has been made to 

 mduct them under conditions as nearly as possible comparable 

 *ith actual farm conditions. Inspection of and suggestions on the 

 lethods of conducting the trials and of presenting the data have 

 Iways been invited. 



In the fall of 1910, the investigations in stock feeding were 

 [tended to cover the field of sheep and lamb feeding. Owing to 

 ic fact that the results of a single trial are often misleading three 

 :periments under as nearly the same conditions as possible and 

 ith the same rations were conducted before any results were pub- 

 ished. The three trials with different rations reported in this bul- 

 >tin were conducted under as nearly the same conditions as it was 

 >ssible to place them. 



MARKET CONDITIONS. The conditions of the live stock market 

 luring the progress of these trials were not conducive to satisfactory 

 inancial results. In the fall of 1910, the pasture conditions in the 

 >rth\vest forced an exceptionally large number of sheep and lambs 

 market. The large corn crop in the middle states induced such 

 irge feeding operations that all the feeding lambs and sheep on 

 ic market were absorbed at very high prices by feeder demand, 

 le result of this heavy marketing and feeding was a very dull and 

 insatisfactory market in the winter and spring for all classes of 

 ;heep and lambs. The fall of 1911 also witnessed a heavy market- 

 ig of western lambs but feeder demand was not as keen as in the 

 >revious year. Fewer sheep were fed and prospects seemed good 

 for a satisfactory margin in the feeding operation. The condition 

 )f the experimental lambs, however, put them on the market before 

 the promised raise in the market arrived and the feeding trials the 

 >cond year showed little better financial returns than did those of 

 the first year. 



