Cut-Over Pine Lands in the South. 



39 



for drying and grinding the beans into a commercial feed. For home 

 consumption the beans are usually fed in the pod, as they are difficult 

 to grind, quickly become rancid, and the feeding value is not in- 

 creased by grinding. 



That the velvet bean is a very valuable concentrated feed for cat- 

 tle has been thoroughly demonstrated. Feeding tests have shown that 

 about 2 pounds in the pod are equal to 1 pound of cottonseed meal 

 and in addition the roughage required is lessened because of the dry 

 matter in the bulky pods. The high feeding value of velvet beans 

 in the field is beyond question and it is now a common practice to 

 market fat steers directly off the bean fields in February and March. 

 Though these steers do not have the high finish of steers fed during 

 a longer period they sell for a good price. The practice of fattening 

 cattle on velvet-bean pasture is an economical one, because few beans 

 are wasted, little labor is required, and the fertilizing value of the 

 crop is retained on the land. 



The Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of 

 Agriculture, with the cooperation of the Mississippi experiment sta- 

 tion, conducted an experiment at Collins, Miss., during the early part 

 of 1918, to determine the economy of a ration of velvet beans and 

 corn silage when fed to fattening steers and also to compare the 

 relative feeding value and economy of whole velvet beans in the pod 

 and velvet beans crushed with the pods. The experiments are being 

 continued, and while no detailed results have as yet been published, 

 the following table gives a summary of the data obtained : 



Table 5. — Velvet beans in pod compared with velvet beans and pods crushed. 

 [Cattle- feeding experiment at Collins, Miss., Jan. 1 to Apr. 5, 1918 — 04 days.] 



Item. 



Lotl. 



Beans in 



pod and 



corn 



silage. 



Lot 2, 

 Beans 



and pods 

 crushed 



and corn 

 silage. 



Number steers in lot 



Average daily ration per head (full feed): 



Velvet beans in pod pounds . . 



Velvet beans, crushed , do 



Corn silage do 



Average initial weight per head do 



Average final weight per head do 



Average total gain per head do 



Average daily gain per head do 



Silage consumed per hundredweight gain do 



Velvet beans consumed per hundredweight gain do 



Feed cost per 100 pounds gain 



Average shrinkage in transit to market '. pounds . . 



Average dressing, market weights per cent . . 



Initial cost per 100 pounds 



Selling price per 100 pounds .- 



Average profit per head 



22.0 



660 



793 



133 



1.41 



1,710 



621 



$11. 72 



79 



56.1 



$7. 50 



$12. 00 



$13. 70 



10.9 



22.0 



660 



790 



130 



1.38 



1.717 



621 



$13. 29 



79 



55.22 



$7.50 



$12. 00 



$11.61 



Twenty-two head of native Mississippi steers from 3 to 5 years 

 old, showing no evidence of improved beef blood and averaging 660 

 pounds, were used in this test. Preliminary to being placed in the 



