BEEF CATTLE IX NORTH CAROLINA. 39 



KIND OF STEEES USED. 



All the steers were representative native cattle of western North 

 Carolina, averaging 2 years old. and had been secured from Hay- 

 wood, Madison, and Buncombe Counties. Xone of them was a pure 

 bred. Most of them were Shorthorn, Hereford, and Angus grades; 

 some were grade Devons; and a few showed traces of dairy breed- 

 ing. They were uniform in size and were divided into two lots as 

 equally as possible according to weight, quality, and condition. 



CHARACTER AND PRICES OF FEEDS USED. 



All the feeds used were valued at standard market prices. The 

 cottonseed meal was of good quality, analyzing about 38.6 per cent 

 crude protein, and cost $30 per ton delivered at the farm. The cot- 

 tonseed hulls were bought and delivered in car lots for $7.50 per ton 

 and were a good grade, of loose hulls. 



The ear corn used was not of good quality, as it had been frosted 

 before maturing and was soft. Its market value was very low, but 

 it was charged against the steers at 50 cents per bushel of 70 pounds. 



The corn stover was of average grade and had been frosted before 

 it was cut. It was valued at $5 per ton. 



The hay used was good bright hay made from a mixture of 

 timothy, herd's grass, clover, and orchard grass, and was valued at 

 $15 per ton. The hay and corn stover were mixed in equal quan- 

 tities and run through a feed cutter before being fed. This mixture 

 was charged against the cattle at $1 per ton. 



METHOD OF FEEDING AND HANDLING. 



During the fattening period the steers were kept in barns, and for 

 about 30 minutes twice each day were allowed to run in open lots,, 

 where they had access to water. They were fed at 8 o'clock in the morn- 

 ing and at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. The cottonseed meal and cotton- 

 seed hulls were mixed thoroughly in the troughs before the steers; 

 were turned to the feed. The ear corn was mixed with the hulls 

 and meal. The mixture of corn stover and hay was fed after the 

 meal and hulls had been eaten and after the steers had taken their 

 fill of water. Comparatively small quantities of cottonseed meal 

 and corn were fed to the steers at the start of the test, so as not to get 

 any of them " off feed." 



The cattle were weighed every 28 days, early in the morning before 

 feed or water was given. The initial and final weights were aver- 

 aged from the weights obtained for three consecutive days. 



