22 



The figures are of service only in showing the relative finish 

 on the cattle. Because of variations in the market and in the de- 

 mand for cattle of different finish, any valuations should be con- 

 sidered only as approximating differences in the finish of cattle. 



Taking the ration of Lot 2, receiving only clover hay for rough- 

 age as a standard, it will be noted that in 1909-10 the addition of 

 corn silage once daily failed to finish the cattle as well by 5 

 cents per cwt. as where only clover hay was used. This con- 

 dition is reversed in 1910-11 when the addition of the silage in- 

 creased the selling price 10 cents per cwt. These valuations, 

 however, are so nearly the same that the two rations must be con- 

 sidered practically equal as regards the finish made on the cattle. 

 By the addition of a large amount of silage, (Lot 4) the results of 

 1909-10 show an excess in selling price due to better finish of 30 

 cents per cwt. while in 1910-11, the finish secured was the 

 same as in Lot 2. By substituting corn silage for clover hay there 

 was a marked change in the finish of the steers, the cattle being 

 valued in both cases 10 cents per cwt. below those receiving clover 

 hay. 



These figures are based upon the finish after a long feeding 

 period and do not indicate the effect of the rations at different 

 periods of the fattening process. Observations of the cattle readily 

 showed that the addition of corn silage to the ration had a very 

 much more marked effect during the early part of the fattening 

 process and that after the cattle became more than half fat, those 

 on dry roughage made comparatively rapid progress in finish. This 

 is shown by the valuations of the cattle, 40 and 60 days respectively 

 before the close of the experiments. The extremely high valuation 

 of the cattle after a short feed in 1909-10 was due to a very much 

 stronger market at that time than when the experiment closed. 

 Since this high valuation is due entirely to market fluctuations it 

 should not be considered as showing lack of improvement in the 

 finish of the cattle during the last 40 days feeding. It will be noted 

 that the addition of a limited amount of corn silage to a ration of 

 corn, cottonseed meal and clover hay showed, after a short feed, 25 

 and 20 cents per cwt. increase in the selling value of the cattle 

 in 1909-10 and 1910-11 respectively; that the addition of a large 

 amount of silage showed 40 and 20 cents per cwt. increase ; and 

 that the substitution of silage for hay showed 5 and 10 cents in- 

 crease in selling price over clover hay alone, as roughage. Much 

 greater improvement in the finish of cattle was shown during the 

 early part of the feeding period in the silage fed lots. More rapid 

 improvement in finish, however, was made during the latter part of 

 the feeding period by the cattle receiving clover hay only as rough- 



