286 MANUAL OF FARM ANIMALS 



in the feed lot before going to grass, and then to finish them on 

 pasture, disposing of them by the middle of July before the 

 hottest of the weather and just about the time the pasture begins 

 to fail. Under this system it would be necessary to feed grain 

 hberally from the beginning of the pasture season. While this 

 method has much to commend it, there is the serious objec- 

 tion of turning cattle to succulent pasture when they are receiv- 

 ing a liberal supply of grain. On account of the very succulent 

 grass so early in the spring such cattle "drift" or shrink con- 

 siderably, even though the grain is continued. This drift is 

 so serious that if the cattle are intended for market by, say, 

 the middle of June, it will be more profitable on the average to 

 finish them in a dry-lot. In addition to the disadvantage of 

 the heavy drift it is poor economy to turn cattle to pasture 

 before the grass gets a good start ; this is particularly true 

 if the grass was closely cropped the preceding fall. 



There is difference of opinion as to the kind of grain that 

 should be fed cattle of the various ages on pasture. In some 

 cases perhaps corn alone cannot be improved on, particularly 

 if there is some leguminous grass, as clover or alfalfa, in the 

 pasture. Some contend that with young stock especially, it is 

 advisable to supplement corn with a food rich in protein, as 

 linseed or cotton-seed meal, whereas in the experience of others 

 the addition of this extra protein food has caused the young 

 stock to grow and not fatten so readily as if the extra food 

 was withheld. Among this class of cattle feeders, when they 

 supplement corn, it is more likely to be for the older cattle. 



The pastures. — There are two general plans for providing 

 pasture land : permanent pastures ; and pastures in rotation 

 with other crops. Permanent pastures are rapidly disappear- 

 ing from those sections of the country suitable for growing grain, 

 because of the increased value of the land for grain raising, but 

 there are vast ar^as unsuited for grain growing which can be 

 very profitably utilized for permanent pasture. In fact much 



