I. WINTERING STEERS PREPARATORY TO SUMMER FATTEN- 

 ING ON PASTURE. 



This is the third in the series of exjDeriments to determine the most 

 profitable methods of wintering mature steers in the South, which 

 were to be fattened on pasture the following summer, and to study 

 the effects of the various methods of wintering on the rapidity of the 

 gains made by the steers during the subsequent summer fattening. 

 The results secured in the two previous years have been reported in 

 former bulletins. 1 The results of the work during the third winter 

 (1909-1910) are given herewith. 



PLAN OF THE WORK. 



The same general plan that had been followed during the two pre- 

 vious years was adhered to. The cattle were bought in the fall and 

 held in the pasture until the grass was exhausted. They were then 

 turned into the cornfields and allowed to remain until the work was 

 started on December 8, 1909. The tests were made on the farm of 

 Mr. O. E. Cobb, of Sumter County, Ala., and were under the direct 

 supervision of Mr. H. J. Chatterton, who was stationed upon the 

 farm and devoted his entire time to the work. 



At the close of the winter work the steers were redivided into 

 groups and used in the summer fattening work. 



CATTLE USED. 



The steers used in these tests were 2 and 3 year old grades of the 

 Hereford, Shorthorn, Aberdeen-Angus, and Red Polled breeds. They 

 were poorer in quality and smaller in size than the steers which had 

 been used in the two previous tests. Many of them were only half 

 bred, while some even carried a predominance of scrub blood. They 

 would have classed as common to fair stockers on the market. They 

 were bought principally of neighboring farmers in western Alabama. 

 All were cattle which had been infested with the cattle tick ever since 

 they were calves. 



CHARACTER OF THE WINTER RANGE AND PRICES OF THE FEEDS USED. 



The cattle were kept in inclosed fields which had been used for 

 growing cotton and corn. The range consisted of the above-men- 

 tioned fields and some waste land upon which had grown the native 



^ee Bureau of Animal Industry Bulletins 131 and 159. 



