10 BULLETIN 767, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
EXPERIMENTAL FEEDING OF CATTLE IN 1915. 
In 1915 oak leaves were fed to seven head of cattle. To two of 
these, Nos. 674 and 692, weighed amounts of the leaves were fed. 
Unfortunately there were no facilities at the experiment station at 
that time for weighing the cattle, so that the weights of the animals 
were estimated and the ratios of the quantity fed to the weights of 
the animals are only approximate. . 
Cattle No. 674 received from June 23 to June 25, 27 pounds of leaves 
with no effect. This was probably in the ratio of about 15 pounds 
daily to 1,000 pounds of animal. 
Fig. 1.—Cattle No, 676. June 20, 1915, to which oak leaves were fed experimentally. 
Cattle No. 692, commencing with June 23, was fed leaves and twigs 
for 10 days, receiving a total of 104.5 pounds. This was probably 
not far from 35 pounds daily to 1,000 pounds of live weight. The 
animal lost flesh and remained thin and weak after being turned 
out in the pasture. 
Five cattle, Nos. 674, 676, 679, 685, 691, received oak-brush leaves, 
the branches being thrown into the corrals and the animals picking 
off the leaves. This method was used partly to avoid the labor of 
gathering the leaves for feeding, but more particularly because in 
this way the animals ate a larger quantity. In this way, too, there 
‘was an approach to the natural conditions of grazing. The animals 
