456 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



Yearlings. 



Pounds. 



4 head of steers showed an average gain of 332 



10 head of steers showed an average gain of 285 



2 head of steers showed an average gain of 440 



Tiro-ycar-olds. 



Pounds. 



7 head of steers showed an average gain of 466 



8 head of steers showed an average gain of 384 



4 head of steers showed an average gain of 406 



I think these figures are very satisfactory, and probably up to the 

 average which can be attained on good pastures by grade steers in fair 

 flesh when turned to pasture. Xo doubt animals in thin flesh when 

 turned to pasture will show larger gains. An interesting phase of the 

 same question is the amount of gain made by steers from an acre of pas- 

 ture land. In different trials Prof. Morrow obtained returns of 240. 200, 

 and 138 pounds of increase live weight per acre from steers on pasture. 

 The average of these gains shows that when beef brings a reasonable 

 price such pastures have- a value of something like $100 per acre. 



FEEDING GRAIN TO STEERS ON PASTURE. 



J. B. Gillett, Illinois's great stock-feeder of the last generation, used 

 to say that he could not afford to fatten steers in winter. His cattle 

 were mostly summer and fall fed, getting their grain from boxes in the 

 pasture fields. Unfortunately we have little accurate data at command 

 to show the value of grain feeding on pastures. Prof. Morrow has made 

 several trials, but the results so far do not seem to confirm the state- 

 ments of Gillett and others. Prof. Morrow sums up the experience at 

 the Illinois Station as follows : 



The results from two years' trial indicate that a grain ration to young steers on 

 good pastures is not usually profitahle. The value of the increase in weight by the 

 grain-fed steers over those having grass only will hardly repay the cost of food and 

 labor. The increased value of the animals from earlier maturity and better quality 

 may make grain feeding profitable. 



While his results to date do not show very favorably for grain feed- 

 ing on good pasture not overstocked, he strongly advocates the addi- 

 tion of grain or other feed before grass fails in the fall. 



INDIAN CORN FOR STEER FEEDING. 



Corn is the great fattening food of America, and no other grain is so 

 cheaply raised or equals it in the economical production of wholesome 

 meat. Our stockmen long ago learned this facj:, and have used corn so 

 exclusively that not always the most economical results have been 

 obtained. With the almost continual plethora of grain careless habits 

 have been acquired in handling the crop, some of which will cost much 

 to unlearn. The roughage of the corn crop, the stalk portion, has been 

 largely wasted through ignorance of its real value and how it should 



