FATTENING CATTLE IN ALABAMA. 25 



GENERAL PLAN OF THE THREE YEARS' WORK. 



The steers were purchased each fall, divided into lots, and wintered 

 in five different ways, as shown in Table 9. At the end of the winter 

 work the steers were redivided into groups, which were to be fattened 

 on grass and supplementary feeds during the summer months. The 

 steers that had been used in the winter work were so divided that 

 some of the animals of each winter lot were placed in each group of 

 cattle for the summer fattening. In this way the effects of the treat- 

 ment given during the winter upon the gains made by the steers 

 during the summer could be studied. 



The feeding during the summer consisted of finishing the cattle 

 on pasture alone, as compared with finishing them on pasture in 

 combination with some supplementary feed,.as cottonseed cake, cotton 

 seed, cold-pressed cottonseed cake, cottonseed cake and corn, etc. 



The steers used in the experiments contained a large percentage 

 of Jersey and scrub blood, although most of them had the blood 

 of some one of the various beef or dual-purpose breeds in their 

 veins. All had been raised in Sumter County or neighboring coun- 

 ties in Alabama on tick-infested premises, and were from 2 to 4 

 years old. Their weights ranged from 600 to 900 pounds in the 

 fall, with an average of about 700 pounds. 



DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS. 



In order to present this subject as clearly as possible, the results 

 will be considered from two main standpoints; the first giving a 

 comprehensive view of the three years' work arranged under the 

 five different methods of winter treatment, showing the results of 

 the summer feeding obtained from each one separately (see Table 9); 

 the second presenting a similar view under each of the six methods 

 of summer fattening, showing in a direct manner the results of the 

 several methods of winter treatment upon the gains made with 

 each kind of summer feed (see Table 10). These tables are also 

 supplemented by three charts (figs. 2, 3, and 4), giving the results 

 in graphic form. 



COMPARISON OF RESULTS UNDER WINTER METHODS OF FEEDING. 



The results secured under each method of winter feeding are seen 

 in Table 9, which is divided into five sections, each one representing 

 a fixed winter ration followed by various kinds of summer feeding, 

 both winter and summer work extending over three years. The 

 winter lots of cattle are designated by the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, 

 while those fed during the summers are listed as groups A, B, C, 

 E, F, and G, each number and each letter standing for a separate 

 method of feeding. The columns of the table show, in order, the 

 number of steers in each summer group, the average weights in the 

 fall, and the average total and daily gains for the winter and sum- 

 mer, and for both combined. 



