ECONOMY OP YOUNG BEEF. 257 



the next 279 days they gain only 232 Ibs., or .83 Ib. per 

 day. This is only 38 per cent., or a little more chan one- 

 third what they gained during the first period. 



The third group of steers were better for their age than 

 the second group; but if we compare the gain of this 

 group with the first they were 671 days older, and they 

 gain in this time 620 Ibs., or .92 Ib. per day much less 

 than half of the gain of the first period. 



But this does not show all the loss of feeding to such an 

 age. If we had an exhibit of the food consumed by the 

 steers of the first group in making an average growth of 

 1,249 Ibs., and also the food eaten by the third group in 

 reaching 1,869 Ibs. weight, we should find the live weight 

 of the latter to cost in food 40 to 50 per cent, more than 

 the former ; that is, steers not only gain less per day as 

 they grow older, but they eat more food to make this small 

 gain. 



Steer No. 29, it appears, gained only 6 Ibs. during the 

 last year ; and steer No. 28 only 90 Ibs. Both of these 

 steers consumed more food during the last year than dur- 

 ing their second year of growth, when they undoubtedly 

 each gained more than two pounds per day. The whole 

 case cannot be understood until the exhibitors give a his-, 

 tory of the food expended each year, as well as the gain. 

 The reader will see what numerous questions arise on 

 examining tables on next page. 



