Cattle Feeding Experiments. 11 



feed at lower cost. Stated in figures, the use. of alfalfa as 

 half of the roughness in connection with prairie hay effected 

 a saving of 40 per cent of the corn required for a pound of 

 gain fed with prairie hay alone. The substitution of alfalfa 

 for all the prairie hay effected a saving of 41 per cent of the 

 grain fed. The use of alfalfa as half of the roughness in 

 connection with corn-stover effected a saving of 47 per cent 

 . of the corn fed with corn-stover alone. The larger saving of 

 corn in the case of stover was no doubt due in part to the 

 fact that stover is more deficient in protein than is prairie 

 hay. 



The seemingly large production of pork produced as a by- 

 product for each pound of gain on the two lots of steers fed 

 unbalanced rations is entirely consistent inasmuch as more 

 grain was consumed by these steers for each pound of in- 



crease in weight. 



FINANCIAL STATEMENT. 



In the following statement, the labor item is not included, 

 as in farm operations it is customary to figure the cost of 

 labor equivalent to the value of the manure, the one offset- 

 ting the other. The cattle were not sold at the close of this: 

 period, but an appraisement of each lot was made according 

 to market values on such cattle at the time. The higher con- 

 dition of the four lots fed alfalfa was very noticeable : 



Lot 1. 



Dr. Cr. 



1905 



Nov. 1 To 10 steers, weight 9,750 Ibs., at $3.67 per hun- 

 dred net, f. o. b. Lincoln $357 82 



To 7,955.5 Ibs. corn at 62^ cents per hundred 



(35 cents per bushel) 49 72 



To 11,905 Ibs. prairie hay at $6.00 per ton 35 71 



To interest on $357.82 for 3 mo. at 6 per cent. . . 5 37 

 1906 

 Jan. 24 By 10 steers, weight 10,762 Ibs., at $4.05 per 



hundred net, Lincoln $435 86 



By 221 Ibs. pork at $5.40 per hundred 11 94 



By loss on ten steers 82 



$448 62 $448 62 

 (Loss per steer, 8 cents.) 



