2. The average length of the full feeding period of the 

 extensive feeders interviewed was shown to be i77 days, or es- 

 sentially six months. There was a close agreement between 

 the various feeders interviewed on this point, showing that this 

 practice is fairly well established. 



3. The weight of steer returning the greatest profit, in the 

 estimation of these men was, for Missouri, 1345 pounds; for 

 Iowa, 1358 pounds; for Illinois, 1390 pounds; for Nebraska, 

 1400 pounds; or an average for all of 1367 pounds. The same 

 men report that 1500 and 1600 pound steers have not, on the 

 average, been profitable. 



4. Forty per cent of all the feeders interviewed gave two 

 years as the age at which they put their cattle on full feed. 

 Twenty-four per cent gave two and a half years of age. Thus 

 64 per cent put their cattle on full feed between the ages of 

 two and three years, as contrasted with less than 4 per cent 

 who full fed calves, less than 4 per cent who put them on feed 

 as yearlings, and with but a fraction over 4 per cent who put 

 their cattle on full feed at eighteen months of age. Of the 

 number of feeders reporting from 1 Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, 

 twice as many put their cattle on full feed at three years of 

 age as begin feeding them under two years of age. 



5. Evidently the Corn Belt cattle feeder is not yet making 

 baby beef. This is due to the fact that older cattle feed more 

 uniformly, finish in a shorter time, and with less attention to 

 the details of feeding. Of even more importance perhaps is the 

 fact that older cattle may be bought as feeders with enough 

 more margain than young cattle to make the feeding operation, 

 on the whole, more profitable. It is furthermore shown that 

 aged cattle are in somewhat better demand on the market, 

 especially if somewhat underdone, or of plain quality. 



6. In the matter of the most favorable season for fatten- 

 ing cattle, the feeders show a decided preference for summer, 

 or rather for some season other than winter. A majority of 

 those interviewed reported that they had ceased to practice win- 

 ter feeding. 



7. The experiments quoted show that cattle gain materially 

 faster in summer, and at something like four-fifths the cost of 



