2 BULLETIN 628, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



grazing; (c) the summer fattening of steers on grass and cotton- 

 seed cake; and (cl) the winter fattening of beef cattle. 



The significance of these problems to the stock grower under the 

 conditions mentioned will be brought out clearly in the discussions 

 which follow. It is strikingly illustrated in the division dealing with 

 the wintering of steers on grass. "When there is not enough feed 

 available for wintering as many cattle as can be grazed during the 

 summer, the farmer is losing money, for all his grass can not be 

 utilized during the grazing season. The experiments have proved 

 beyond a doubt that steers can be wintered most satisfactorily on 

 specially prepared winter pastures, and at a cost from 30 to 50 per 

 cent less than upon the common farm roughages. This indicates the 

 importance of improved methods of handling cattle and the possi- 

 bilities of the mountains for cattle raising. 



The importance more particularly of the pasture work in the 

 mountainous part of Xorth Carolina and of surrounding States can 

 not be overemphasized, considering the possibilities of winter and 

 summer pasture development. The large areas of cut-over timber 

 lands, such as those used for the winter pastures in this experimental 

 work, would accommodate large herds of beef cattle if properly seeded. 

 Winter pastures and corn silage for winter maintenance will solve 

 many of the difficulties of the cattle grower. The mountainous con- 

 dition of the region makes the production of stockers and feeders 

 especially practicable because of the larger amounts of pasture that 

 can be utilized and the minimum of winter feeds necessary for the 

 maintenance and growth of such cattle. This may be appreciated by 

 those not acquainted with local conditions by stating that in many 

 of the mountain counties but 5 to 10 per cent of the land can be 

 cultivated, and much of this is hillsides or steep land that should be 

 in grass. The fattening of cattle is less practicable because of the 

 greater amounts of feeds necessary. Where feeds have to be shipped 

 in by rail, as is usually the case with the concentrates, the distance 

 from the railroad stations makes this practice prohibitive for many 

 farmers. 



These statements in the main illustrate the conditions under which 

 the work was carried on and why certain parts of it were so outlined 

 and emphasized. Although much of this work will be of value to 

 stock growers in the Piedmont or lower mountain sections, its value 

 is more pertinent to the mountain areas of the section shown in the 

 outline map. (See fig. 1.) 



KIND OF STEERS USED. 



The steers used in this work were all native cattle raised in western 

 Xorth Carolina. They were a good uniform lot of grade Shorthorn. 

 Aberdeen Angus, and Hereford breeding with a little Devon blood 



