experiment. Lot i. which received ear corn and clover hay, made 

 greater gains than Lot 2, which received ear corn, linseed meal. 

 shredded stover and oat straw, every month with the exception of 

 the 5th. Lot 2, which received linseed meal, made better gains .it 

 all times than Lot 3. which received the same ration without the lin- 

 seed meal. This shows very clearly the advantage of feeding some 

 nitrogenous feed with corn. The ration fed Lot 3 was of such a 

 nature that the steers would not consume a sufficient quantity to 

 make rapid gains. Its physical character was such that it required 

 a large amount of energy to Handle it. The nutritive ratio was very 

 wide and the digestion of the feed was not satisfactory at all times. 

 These factors account for the small gains in this lot. The ration fed 

 in the second lot was more palatable, hence the steers ate a much 

 larger quantity ; the addition of oil meal had a desirable effect on di- 

 gestion, and the ration was more narrow than that fed to Lot 3. 

 These factors undoubtedly account for the more rapid gains in Lot 

 2. The ration fed to Lot I was more palatable than that fed to Lot 

 2, it required less energy to handle it and it had practically the same 

 nutritive ratio and fully as desirable an effect on digestion, hence 

 produced more rapid gains. 



The fourth and fifth months were unsatisfactory for feeding, 

 as the weather was unfavorable to rapid or economical gains. The 

 rapid gains in all lots during the sixth month may be accounted for 

 by the fact that during this month the cattle were not disturbed by 

 visitors as they were in the early months of the experiment. It 

 should be noted also that May iQth, the day before the cattle were 

 weighed, was a cold, rainy day. This may have caused the cattle to 

 fill poorly, and, as a consequence, the gains for the fifth month ap- 

 pear to be low. while those of the sixth month are. relatively high. 

 The last weights were not abnormal, as they are composed of the 

 average of 3 days' weighing. 



liy comparing the daily gains during the first and the last half 

 of the experiment it will be seen that, without exception, the steers 

 made better gains when they were on full feed of corn, than when 

 the grain ration was limited. Ho\vever, these cattle were not finish- 

 ed. Individual records which do not appear in this bulletin, show 

 that the younger steers in Lots I and 2 made the best gains, while 

 in Lot 3 the best gains were made by the more- mature and coarser 

 steers, or in other words, the ration fed in Lot 3 was better adapted 

 to mature cattle than to younger. A mature steer does not require 

 protein for the formation of muscle and tissue, hence can use a wide 

 ration to a much better advantage than a growing steer. It was 

 very noticeable that the younger steers in Lot 3 where the ration was 

 very wide, though of good beef type, did not make so satisfactory 

 gains as the more mature steers. In Lots I and 2 the vouncr steers 



