DIFFICULTIES AND EXPERIMENTS. 15 



for the object in view, they may be too expensive to be 

 practically applied to feeding in special localities where the 

 beet-sugar factory is located. Cornmeal bran, oil meal, etc., 

 may be found in most markets of the country at prices that 

 undergo comparatively slight fluctuations. 



The passage from liquid to solid food for growing cattle is no Difficulties con- 

 easy matter; the conditions are most complicated and experi- tended with 

 ments in this special direction are very limited. What is con- ments ex 

 sumed before a growing animal is weaned has for its principal 

 object muscle and bone formation and general sustenance of the 

 vital processes. Soxhlet's experiments point to the fact that 

 food produced a greater increase of weight in a given time than 

 would have been possible with mature animals; 1.93 Ibs. of dry 

 matter consumed per diem per 100 Ibs. live weight, gave an 

 increase of 1.8 Ibs. in weight. The calves experimented upon 

 were very young animals, under thirty days old. The average 

 consumption of milk during this experiment was 16.2 Ibs. per 

 diem, and analysis of excrement proved that only 0.04 Ibs. of 

 dry matter was not assimilated, showing that 'the milk had 

 been most thoroughly digested. The most natural conditions 

 are to allow the calf as soon as weaned to feed upon young grass 

 in the fields. As soon as cold Aveather approaches they should 

 be kept in suitably arranged stalls, in pairs, never alone, and 

 there should be ample room for them to move about, as a 

 reasonable amount of exercise is one of the requisites for natural 

 development. When the calf is taken from the field to the barn, 

 green fodder should be furnished as long as possible, and it is 

 in this connection that sugar beets render such excellent ser- 

 vice; they may be considered as wet green fodders and may be 

 furnished during an entire winter. The future health and com- 

 mercial value of a steer always depends upon the winter that 

 follows its birth; this is a fact too frequently overlooked. Fod- 

 ders for winter feeding are expensive, so that growing cattle 

 hardly get the food they require for a healthy maintenance, and 

 as a result, considerable money is lost during the following 

 spring, which period is too frequently devoted to recuperation 

 from the bad effects of being underfed during several months 

 previous. Hence it is recommended to determine in advance 



