290 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



cattle-feeding, to give a large illustration of the compara- 

 tive advantages of the two systems of out-door and in-door 

 winter-feeding. As he mostly raises his own steers, he 

 might rear 100 head to be fed in stable or under comfort- 

 able shelter, accustoming them to it, so that they would 

 take to it kindly, housing them at the first cold storms in 

 the fall, and continuing their winter-feeding in comfort- 

 able quarters till ripened for market. These should be con- 

 trasted with 100 head, of the same age and quality, fed in 

 the open air, according to his present plan ; both lots of 

 steers to be fed upon the same quality of food, and accord- 

 ing to his excellent custom, full-fed, keeping a strict 

 account of the amount of grain and winter fodder eaten 

 by each lot. The record of these lots of steers, compared 

 at thirty months or three years, with the half-yearly and 

 final weights, would be most instructive, and entitle Mr. 

 Gillette to the grateful thanks of the farmers of America. 

 We trust that Mr. Gillette will consider this, and consent 

 to undertake the settlement of this important question in 

 this demonstrative way. His facilities are more ample than 

 those of any experimental farm attached to our agricultural 

 colleges ; and as he makes it his principal business to feed 

 steers for market, his methods would be likely to be more 

 accurate and tested on such large numbers as scarcely to 

 admit of any important error. 



Mr. Gillette can also do a great service, even in his pres- 

 ent mode of feeding, by weighing his steers at the com- 

 mencement of summer-feeding, and at the beginning of 

 winter-feeding, noting the gain during each of these peri- 

 ods, as well as the extra or grain food given, per head. 

 The question of the effect of temperature may be solved 

 quite effectually in this way. No observing feeder doubts 

 that it requires a large portion of the food to keep up 

 animal heat during the cold season, but precisely what 

 percentage is required has not been accurately settled on a 



