4 BULLETIN 73, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



permanent pasture, and the ration of cottonseed cake was fed until May 7, as the 

 season that year was exceedingly unfavorable for the early growth of pasture grasses. 



(3) During the summer months the cows and calves ran together in the large pasture. 



(4) The cows and calves were separated September 25, The calves were placed in 

 a field containing old cornstalks, crab grass, and cowpeas. They remained in this field 

 imtil October 7, whsn they were transferred to a field of peanuts which were to be 

 subsequently grazed off by hogs. This peanut field afforded grazing until October 16 

 when they were returned to the corn and cowpea field. They were kept in this field 

 until November 24, but were fed a small amount of cottonseed cake in addition, begin- 

 ning with 1 pound of cake per calf per day on October 28 and gradually increasing the 

 amount to 2 pounds. By November 24 the supply of feed in this field was exhausted, 

 so the calves were transferred to a third field of cornstalks and crab grass, where they 

 remained until the fattening period was inaugurated. 



(5) By December 21 all of the available rough feeds of the farm had been consumed, 

 and the calves were placed in a small barn lot and fattened for the early spring mar- 

 ket. During this fattening period they were fed cottonseed meal, corn silage, and 

 a cheap quality of broom-sedge hay. 



(6) The calves were shipped to New Orleans and sold April 1, 1912. 



(7) The bulls were allowed to run with the cows the year round. This, however, 

 was found to be a poor practice, as the date of calving could not be regulated. When 

 the bulls are with the cows continuously the first calves come too early in the season, 

 and the last calves come too late. It is a much better practice to keep the bulls away 

 from the herd of cows all the time except during the usual and proper breeding season. 



PRICES AND CHARACTER OF FEEDS. 



Cottonseed meal, cottonseed cake, pastures, com silage, and broom- 

 sedge hay were all used in the test. Cottonseed meal, corn-silage, and 

 the hay were fed to the calves during the fattening period. The 

 cows during the winter of 1911-12 were not given silage, as the supply 

 was limited, but there is no doubt that both the cows and the calves 

 would have done much better if the cows had been given a liberal 

 quantity of this succulent feed. All of the feeds except the broom- 

 sedge hay were of good quality. The cottonseed meal and cottonseed 

 cake were fresh and bright. ' The corn silage was also of excellent 

 quahty; it was made of corn which would have yielded about 30 

 bushels of grain to the acre. While the hay was bright, clean, and 

 well cured, it was of exceedingly poor quaUty, as broom sedge will 

 not make a good quaUty of hay. It is, however, a roughage that 

 should not be wasted. 



In Vv'ork of this character the financial statement is not as exact 

 as might be desired, because the price of feeds, as well as of cattle, 

 fluctuates considerably from year to year. The financial outcome 

 of a particular experiment may not be duplicated by the cattle raiser 

 or feeder, owing to the different conditions under which he is operat- 

 ing. The prices listed in this bulletin were the actual prices paid 

 for the feeds (except corn silage and broom-sedge hay, which were 

 made on the farm) and the actual prices realized lor the cattle. 

 This test was conducted during the winter of 1911-12; prices have 

 not changed materially since that time. The follo^\-ing were the 



