GROWING BA]!Y UEEF 83 



liar adaptation for making the highest quality of beef, 

 and may be readily furnished in the absence of a silo. 

 They are also a safeguard against digestive troubles 

 when the feeding is forced. When abundant, they may 

 be fed in even larger quantities than ensilage, but, if only 

 a few pounds daily can be fed, they will aid in giving 

 tone to the system. Ensilage once a da}' and roots once 

 will probably be more satisfactory than roots twice 

 daily. 



The nature of the concentrates. — The concentrates 

 should be of that character which will promote growth 

 and at the same time will maintain a sufficiency of high 

 flesh, which means enough fat to effect the purpose 

 sought. The amount of this that the animal should 

 carry is so far a staple quantity that it should never be 

 low, and it is so far a shifting quantity that it should 

 never be high enough to retard or hinder any future 

 development that ma}' be sought. The younger the 

 age, therefore, at which the animals are to be finished, 

 and the less rich the other food during the milk period, 

 the richer and more forcing should be the concentrates 

 fed and vice versa. 



They should also be of a character that will not 

 cloy or disturb digestion. Such a result will follow even 

 at an early age if certain foods are fed in excess. This 

 would result from feeding an excess cf oil meal, even 

 during the milk period. It certainly would result from 

 feeding cottonseed meal similarly, and it is even pos- 

 sible when feeding such foods as barley and rye. 



While almost every kind of grain grown on the 

 arable farm may be used during the milk period, the 

 standard grain foods are corn, oats, and bran. It is usual 

 to begin by feeding the corn and oatf; ground, but as 

 soon as they are well accustomed to take the grain, 

 some feeders claim that quite as good results will fol- 

 low from feeding the grain whole. It has a freshness 

 about it which does not always appertain to meal, es- 



