CORN AND BEEF. 311 



BEEF TO THE ACRE OF CORN. 



It may be of interest to examine the probable result of 

 feeding an acre of corn in this way. Farmers would be 

 better prepared to understand their business if they were 

 in the habit of determining the result per acre of all their 

 crops. We have a small experiment of our own to give as 

 to the pounds of beef produced per acre of corn cut and 

 fed as described, without steaming, but merely slightly fer- 

 mented, as mentioned. We were feeding ten steers, of 

 1,175 Ibs. average weight. The corn was shocked Septem- 

 ber 10th, and we began feeding November 1st. The corn 

 was estimated to yield 40 bushels per acre when properly 

 dried. It was shocked when the ear was in the soft dough 

 state and the stalks were green. At first the average ration 

 was 40 Ibs. per head, per day, of the corn in the shock, 

 which was run through a straw-cutter with a 3-16 inch cut. 

 Two pounds of linseed-oil meal was given to each steer per 

 day, mixed with the corn ration. The corn was cut so fine 

 that, after a slight fermentation, it was eaten clean. Four 

 acres were accurately measured, and lasted 70 days. The 

 average weight of the steers at the end was 1,375 Ibs., or a 

 gain of 200 Ibs. each. The oil-meal cost 2 cts. per pound, 

 and the steers had gained in value $14 per head, or 7 cts. 

 per pound gain. Now if we deduct the price of the oil- 

 meal, it takes 40 Ibs., at 7 cents, to pay it. This would 

 leave as the product of the corn crop 160 Ibs. per head, or 

 1,600 Ibs. for the 4 acres 400 Ibs. of beef per acre of corn, 

 or 70 cents per bushel for the corn, not counting the stalks. 

 With this mode of feeding, there is no doubt that good 

 corn may be made to average 400 Ibs. of beef per acre on 

 cattle of 1,100 to 1,200 Ibs. weight, and still more in feed- 

 ing younger cattle. The food of support is greater in an 

 animal of 1,100 Ibs. than in one of 600 to 800 Ibs. 



