272 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



two feeds, morning and night, and 5 Ibs. of long hay was 

 given at noon. During the last sixty days one gallon of 

 cheap molasses was dissolved in the water for wetting the 

 straw for the steamed ration. This was a small amount of 

 sweet to be diffused through 90 bushels, but it added so 

 decidedly to its flavor as to stimulate the appetite. These 

 steers gained, on an average, 201M Ibs. per head, or 2.23 

 Ibs. per day; this is equal to 10.67 Ibs. of dry substance of 

 food to each pound gain in live weight. This is 14 per 

 cent, under Lawes' estimate of food to one of gain. This 

 may also be owing to a warm stable, and cooking the food. 

 A few years later, we fed 10 head of three-year-old steers 

 for 100 days, keeping an accurate account of the daily 

 ration, and their increase each 30 days, for the whole 

 period. They were of grade Short-horn blood (sired by a 

 seven-eighths blood bull), had been well raised, as that 

 term is generally understood, and accustomed from calf- 

 hood to be handled and stabled. They averaged 1,210 Ibs. 

 per head, and cost 4^ cents, or $54.45 per head. Being in 

 a thrifty condition, and accustomed to good shelter, they 

 took kindly to their new quarters when put up, November 

 20th. This lot of steers, being in condition for rapid fat- 

 tening, we gave the following combined ration, made by 

 grinding together 10 bushels of corn (560 Ibs.), 8 bushels 

 of oats and peas, grown together (384 Ibs.), and 1 bushel of 

 flax-seed (56 Ibs.) making 1,000 Ibs. This is the propor- 

 tion, and, when evenly mixed and ground fine, furnishes a 

 fattening ration most complete. This ration, then, cost 

 $1.10 per 100 Ibs. The ration of grain was increased grad- 

 ually from 10 Ibs. up to 15 Ibs. per head, per day, and the 

 average was 13M Ibs. per day. This was mixed with 2K 

 bushels of short-cut straw, with 2 ounces of salt, all well 

 steamed together, as the daily ration of each steer, given in 

 two feeds, morning and evening, with 6 Ibs. of long hay at 

 noon. This proportion of flax-seed makes the ration just 



