III. FATTENING CALVES ON COTTONSEED MEAL, CORN, 

 COTTONSEED HULLS, CORN SILAGE, AND ALFALFA 

 HAY. 



TRANSFER OF WORK FROM ALABAMA TO MISSISSIPPI. 



The cattle- feeding work which was conducted in Alabama in co- 

 operation with the Experiment Station from 1904 to 1913 was 

 transferred to the tick-free sections of Mississippi in 1914. An ex- 

 perimental farm was established near Canton, Miss., in the " brown 

 loam " section of the State, and another at Abbott, Miss., near West 

 Point, in the black-prairie section. The work which is reported 

 herewith was conducted on the farm of Mr. Ben Walker at Abbott. 



That section of Mississippi has long been recognized as a splendid 

 live-stock section, for the prairie soils have a large lime content 

 which induces good growth in the various clovers and alfalfa, thus 

 furnishing good pastures and an abundance of forage. Conditions 

 are very similar to those in western Alabama, where the former 

 work was conducted. The land in the Mississippi pastures was not 

 so rolling as in Alabama, but there was little difference in the type 

 of soil and its fertility. 



The object of this test was to get further information concerning 

 the use of cottonseed meal and mixtures of cottonseed meal and corn 

 for finishing calves for the market. This is a continuation of the 

 work conducted in Alabama. 



CALVES USED. 



The calves used in the experiment were grade Shorthorn, Angus, 

 and Red Polled, the Shorthorns predominating in numbers. They 

 were out of grade beef cows and sired by registered bulls. All but 

 one were raised upon the farm and ran with their dams in black- 

 prairie pastures until just before the test was started. In size they 

 were somewhat larger than the average Mississippi calves at wean- 

 ing time, but they were of about the same size and quality as the 

 grade beef calves found upon the good stock farms of the State. 

 They represented the second or third cross of good beef bulls on 

 the native Mississippi cows. They averaged 100 pounds each when 

 taken from their dams on October 25, 1914, to be weaned, dehorned, 

 and started on a preliminary feed. All calves were valued at 5 

 cents a pound on the farm without any deduction for shrinkage. 



FEED LOTS AND WATER SUPPLY. 



All the calves were fed in a large barn, which was open enough 

 on the sides to permit thorough ventilation. About 50 square feet 

 of space was allowed for each calf for lying down and exercising. 



21 



