94 BULLETIN 1251, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
CONCLUSIONS. 
On the whole, the steers which made larger winter gains also 
made larger total gains for the year when fattened on grass the fol- 
lowing summer (correlation, +0.43). | 
The steers which made only slight gains or lost weight during the 
winter made greater summer gains on pasture than steers which 
made larger winter gains (correlation between winter and summer 
gains, — 0.57). 
Consequently, differences in weight of steers at the end of the 
winter, due to rations fed, are gradually minimized during the time 
of summer fattening on grass. (An advantage of 100 pounds at the 
end of winter falls to one of only 41 pounds after 136 days on grass.) 
Fic. 23.—The six lots of steers in September, 1922, at the lower corner of their pasture. They are 
about to be driven 5 miles to be loaded and shipped to Jersey City. 
Since differences in weight due to winter feeding are gradually 
minimized, but not wholly overcome, during the summer season of 
fattening on grass, it is important that cattle to be marketed early 
should gain considerably more weight during the winter than if they 
are to be marketed late. (An advantage of 160 pounds at the end 
of winter falls to one of 62 pounds after 54 days on grass.) 
There is so little difference between the gains made by the steers 
in the different lots at the end of the summer grazing period that 
any conclusion as to the best winter ration must take into considera- 
tion the cost of the ration. 
Succulent rations of silage alone, or silage, cottonseed meal and 
straw, or silage and mixed hay, as used in this experiment, are 
cheaper and produce greater gains for the year than a dry ration of 
mixed hay and ear corn. 
WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ; 1924 
8 fh. ob Se 
