14 



BULLETIN 488, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



produced 1,488 pounds of gain. Where 7,057 pounds of corn was fed 

 the gain was 3,006 pounds: where 7,236 pounds of ground barley was 

 fed the gain was 2,776 pounds, and where 1.2,760 pounds of corn sup- 

 plemented the alfalfa pasture, the gain was 4,354 pounds per acre 

 of pasture. With this information the fanner can apply prices 

 that suit his own particular condition and determine the most eco- 

 nomical quantity of grain to feed. 



Table V. — Results obtained by feeding hoys on alfalfa pasture, supplemented 

 with varying quantities of grain, at the Scottsbluff Experiment Farm in 191k 

 and 1915. 



Items of comparison. 



Lotl, 

 no 



grain. 



Lot 2, 1 



per cent 



corn. 



Lot 3, 2 



per cent 



corn. 



Lot 4, 2 

 per cent 

 barley. 



Lot 5, 3 



per cent 



corn. 



Total gain per acre pounds. . 



Average daily gain per acre do 



Grain fed do 



('.rain per pound of gain do 



Gain per 100 pounds of grain do 



Financial statement: 



Net returns per acre of pasture 



Daily net returns per acre of pasture 



Net returns for 100 pounds of grain (pasture at 



$45.08 per acre) 



Cost per 100 pounds of gain (pasture at $15 per 



acre) 



Equivalent paid for hay, per ton 



644 

 4.1 



$45. OS 

 .29 



2.33 

 S. 16 



1,488 



9.6 



3,174 



2.11 



47.4 



3,006 

 19.3 



7,657 

 2.63 



38.0 



2,776 

 17.9 



7,236 

 2.61 



38.3 



70.20 

 .45 



1.86 



3.29 

 12.71 



$128. 49 

 .83 



3.22 

 23. 25 



$121.96 

 .79 



2.06 



3.14 



22.10 



4,354 



28.0 



12, 760 



2.93 



34.1 



$168. 25 

 1.08 



2.03 



3.48 

 30.48 



Two years' results show that more pasture is required when no 

 grain is fed and that as the grain ration is increased the area of pas- 

 ture required is decreased. The areas required when no grain, 1 per 

 cent grain, 2 per cent grain, and 3 per cent grain were fed were ap- 

 proximately as 5, 4, 3, and 2, respectively. 



For every 100 pounds of grain fed, lot 2 made 47.4 pounds of gain ; 

 lot 3, 38 pounds; lot 4, 38.3 pounds; and lot 5, 34.1 pounds. The 

 higher the grain ration the lower the gains per unit of grain fed. 

 Also, the lower the grain ration the more pasture was required for 

 100 pounds of gain. 



With the prices here used, the two-year average net return per 

 acre of alfalfa pasture were as follows: No-grain lot, $45.08; 1 per 

 cent corn lot, $70.20; 2 per cent corn lot, $128.49; 2 per cent ground 

 barley lot, $121.96; and the 3 per cent corn lot, $168.25. The average 

 daily net return per acre for 154 days ranged from 29 cents, where 

 no grain was fed, to $1.08, when a 3 per cent ration of corn was fed. 



The two-year average net return per acre of alfalfa pasture from 

 lots 3 and 4 show the sum of $6.43 in favor of corn over ground 

 barley. It will also be seen from Table V that the corn lot was fed 

 a little more grain than the barley lot. Higher returns would, there- 

 fore, be expected from the corn-fed lot, as the results have shown that 

 the net returns for pasture increase with the grain ration. The dif- 

 ference in net returns, therefore, is not enough to warrant the state- 



