l82 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



advantage over those with high-priced lands and cir- 

 cumscribed in area. The person living under semi- 

 range conditions may usually aim to finish on grass, 

 as a portion of the pasture may be free and in no in- 

 stance is it costly. 



No influence will have a more important bearing 

 on this question than natural adaptation. Some soils 

 will produce grass abundantly, while they may not be 

 so well adapted relatively for corn. Such are the soils 

 of the hardwood timber areas southward from the Great 

 Lakes. On such soils summer fattening would so far 

 be the more profitable. Other soils will grow corn that 

 will produce more beef an acre than can be obtained 

 from the same in grass. Such are some of the soils in 

 the corn belt, hence winter fattening in these, unless 

 labor is too costly, may be the more profitable. An 

 approximate idea maj- be obtained of the value of the 

 grazing by the area required to maintain a cattle beast 

 through the season of grazing. Without grain a cattle 

 beast in, say, the one-year form, should give not less 

 than 50 pounds a month on grass ample and nutritious. 

 This furnishes a basis for carrying the computation 

 further. 



The cost of labor will have an important bearing on 

 the outcome. Caring for cattle that are being finished 

 on grass involves much less labor than caring for the 

 same when fed in the stall, shed, or yard. In estimating 

 the labor, the cost of hauling the manure should be 

 included. The higher relatively the cost of labor, the 

 greater is the saving effected from such outlay in sum- 

 mer grazing. 



The nature of the rotation affects the question ma- 

 terially, through the influence which grazing exerts on 

 fertility. When grass thus grazed is a feature of a short 

 rotation, the land is thus cheaply supplied with humus 

 and fertility to be used Ijy the crops that follow. The 

 more grain that is fed, the greater will be the amount 



