Fattening Steers 91 
who are at present concerned with beet pulp are the large 
outfits having feed yards within a few blocks of a sugar 
factory. The sugar factories are largely located in the 
irrigated sections of Idaho, Utah and Colorado. 
Silage for beef cattle under western conditions is so far 
an experiment. It may prove a great success, but at 
present there is too little known about it to justify any 
positive statements. Silage has proven its value to the 
beef producers of the Corn-Belt. 
WHEN TO FEED CATTLE 
For a man who raises neither hay nor cattle to buy 
both, unless he expects to secure some value out of either 
the clean-up or the manure, would not usually be advisable. 
But the ranchman who raises his own hay, or who raises 
his own cattle, and can procure hay at a reasonable price 
and close enough to feed on his own farm, will often find 
it profitable to feed, providing, however, that he likes cattle 
and is willing to study them and follow the markets care- 
fully. Cattle-feeding is an attractive business, but is no 
easy task; and it takes but a very small break to lose a 
whole crop of hay. The successful feeder will usually be 
found very much interested in his work, and eager to talk 
cattle at any and all places. There is a certain fascination 
about handling cattle which when once felt, is hard to 
escape. 
On the whole it would not be well to encourage any 
marked increase in the cattle fattening business. Rather 
extensive experiments and investigations conducted by 
the Eastern Oregon Experiment Station lead us to believe 
that the business is generally over-rated and that many of 
the feeders are not receiving as large or as cheap gains as 
