STEER FEEDING IN THE SUGAR-CANE BELT 13 
With the exception of the first experiment in 1915-16, salesmen 
from commission firms located at the New Orleans and Fort Worth 
stockyards placed market values per 100 pounds on the cattle at the 
termination of the experiments. The actual selling price, as given 
in Table 7, was obtained by subtracting the marketing charges, in- 
cluding shrinkage, from these market prices. As the cattle in the 
first season's experiment were not marketed until 20 days after the 
first experiment was terminated, the financial calculations for those 
lots could not be carried out. 
Fh r e of the seven lots fed in 1918-19 showed a financial loss, as the 
experiment made that winter was under conditions unfavorable to 
profitable production. Feeders were very high in price and so were 
the feeds used as supplements. The greater cost of producing gains 
in lots 7, 8, and 9, fed on cane tops, sugar cane, and Japanese cane, 
respecth T ely, and the lower selling price of these lots caused much 
heavier financial losses than in the other lots. 
Lots 5, 6, and 10 have not been used in making comparisons and 
drawing conclusions, as these lots were fed only one year. 
CONCLUSIONS 
The results of the experiments are believed to warrant the follow- 
ing conclusions : 
Cattle feeding can be made an important enterprise in the sugar- 
cane belt. 
Sorgo silage compares favorably with corn silage as a beef -cattle 
feed. 
The addition of soybeans to either corn or sorghum increases the 
value of the silage. 
Silage made from sugar cane can be utilized advantageously as a 
feed for cattle, although it is not so palatable as that made from 
corn, soybeans, sorgo, or cowpeas. 
There is little difference in feeding value between cane-top and 
Japanese-cane silage. 
In making 100 pounds gain, steers fed cane-top silage required 28 
per cent more silage and 40 per cent more cottonseed meal than those 
fed corn silage. 
