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



winter-grazing experiments. By this method the actual cash ex- 

 penditures for converting the raw woodland into good permanent 

 pasture was the cost of the small amount of seed used, plus the small 

 cost of " sprouting " each year for two or three years. This plan can 

 be used to advantage in nearly all parts of the mountain counties. 



The pasture was charged at the rate of $1 per steer for each 28 

 days. 



OBJECT OF THE WORK. 



The object of the winter-grazing work was: 



(1) To determine the practicability of carrying stock cattle 

 through the winter on grass alone. 



(2) To determine a method of wintering that would equalize the 

 number of cattle that could be maintained profitably through both 

 summer and winter. 



PLAN OF THE WORK. 



This work covered a period of three years. The steers in each 

 lot were kept throughout one year, or until the end of the summer 

 grazing season, when they were sold as feeders. The cattle were 

 bought in the fall and put on winter pasture in late fall, usually 

 some time in December, when the summer grass gave out, which was 

 about the same time the other cattle in the experiment were taken 

 to the barns to be wintered. 



No shelter was provided during the winter, as the coves in the 

 mountains furnished ample protection. The cattle were given no 

 feed except during stormy weather, when they were driven to the 

 barn and fed a light feed of hay or ear corn, corn stover, hay, and 

 straw. As soon as the snow melted they were taken back to pasture. 

 In the three years' work it was foimd that usually there is a period 

 of 10 days to 3 weeks that the cattle will have to be fed. In the 

 spring the cattle in this winter-grazing work were put on summer 

 pasture as soon as it would carry them, usually at the same time the 

 barn-wintered cattle were taken to summer pasture. 



KIND OF STEERS USED. 



The cattle used in this work were all grade native steers of Short- 

 horn, Hereford, and Angus breeding with a slight amount of Devon 

 blood in most of them. During the first year's work, 1913-14, the 

 steers used were not as large or as uniform as those used the two fol- 

 lowing years. The steers of the first year were mostly " short 2-year- 

 olds " ; those of the last two years were mostly 2-year-olds. All were 

 the same in quality and condition as the cattle used in the barn win- 

 tering, with the exception of those of the first year, which were some- 

 what lighter in weight than the barn-wintered cattle. 



