4 BULLETIN 1333, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
with the Mississippi station and was under the direct supervision of 
the senior writer. 
Table 1 shows the location, duration, and general scheme of the 
experiments. 
Table 1. — Outline of the experimental work 
Time of experiment 
Steers and lots 
Location 
Feeds compared 
Year 
Begun 
Ended 
Dura- 
tion 
Lot 
No. 
Steers 
in lot 
Collins, Miss 
1918 
Jan. 1 
Apr. 4 
Days 
94 
1 
2 
11 
11 
Velvet beans: 1 
Ground velvet beans. 
Beltsville, Md— _ 
1918 
Mar. 15 
July 4 
112 
1 
2 
3 
4 
10 
10 
10 
10 
Cottonseed meal. 
Velvet beans. 
Ground velvet beans. 
Soaked velvet beans. 
1919 
Jan. 17 
May 22 
126 
1 
2 
3 
4 
10 
10 
10 
10 
Cottonseed meal. 
Cottonseed meal and shelled 
corn. 
Soaked velvet beans and shelled 
corn. 
Soaked velvet beans and cotton- 
seed meal. 
McNeill, Miss 
1920 
Jan. 22 
Apr. 14 
84 
1 
2 
3 
10 
10 
10 
Cottonseed meal. 
Velvet beans. 
Soaked velvet beans. 
1921 
Dec. 9 
Mar. 16 
98 
1 
2 
3 
10 
10 
10 
Cottonseed meal and velvet. 
beans. 
Velvet beans. 
Soaked velvet beans. 
1922 
Jan. 26 
May 3 
98 
1 
2 
3 
10 
10 
10 
Cottonseed meal. 
Velvet beans. 
Soaked velvet beans. 
1 In this bulletin "velvet beans" refers to whole, dry velvet beans in the pods. 
In the feeding test at Collins, Miss., in 1918, native steers showing 
no evidence of improved blood were used. Figure 4 is representative 
of this class of steers. In all the other tests high-grade feeder steers 
showing a preponderance of Hereford, Angus, or Shorthorn blood 
were used. Figures 5, 7, and 8 are representative groups of these 
steers. In all the experiments the steers were divided into lots as 
equally as possible, the age, weight, condition, conformation, quality, 
and breeding of the animals being taken into consideration in making 
an equal division. 
The steers were weighed in the morning after they had been given 
feed and water, the weighing being done on three successive days at the 
beginning and end of each experiment and the average of the three 
weights taken as the initial and final weights. Individual weights were 
taken of all steers at 14 and 28 day intervals. The feed consumed and 
the gains made are given by 28-day periods in this bulletin. As the 
duration of several of the experiments, given in Table 1, indicates, one 
experiment had a 10-day period and three had a 14-day period at the 
end. All dressing percentages are based on the weights of the steers 
at the stockyards shortly before they were slaughtered. 
All the data will not check out exactly because fractions have been 
dropped to simplify and condense the tables. The calculations are 
based on feeds consumed, gains made, and financial returns for the 
whole lot in each case where data are given on the basis of one steer. 
The price received for silage is determined by dividing the difference 
between the cost of the finished cattle, excepting silage fed, and gross 
sale receipts by the tons of silage fed. 
