46 Bulletin 827, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 
does not affect its value as a feed after it is produced and is not a logi- 
cal reason for using it in a wasteful manner. 
Cottonseed meal should not be used as fertilizer until it has been 
fed to cattle. Enormous quantities of cottonseed meal are used in 
the Piney Woods as a direct fertilizer when it could be fed to cattle 
and fully 75 per cent of the fertilizing value recovered and applied 
to the land in the form of manure. 
BUILDINGS AND SHELTER. 
Because of the short, mild winters cattle need little shelter and 
no expensive buildings are necessary. Cattle seek protection only 
Fig. 11. — An open shed for cattle on a Louisiana ranch. 
from the cold winter rains of December, January, and February 
and a dry place to lie down is all that is needed. Mature cattle 
should not be closely housed and cattle space under barns should 
be boarded up only on the side of the prevailing winds. 
Where the land is not heavy enough to be injured by trampling, 
cattle will do better if allowed to run in the open with available 
shelter when needed. Where velvet beans are pastured during win- 
ter, shelter should be provided, as exposure to cold rains causes the 
rapid loss of expensive gains. 
Figure 11 shows an inexpensive type of open shed used on a 
Louisiana cattle ranch. Such a shed provides all the shelter neces- 
sary. 
In the Piney Woods region, where rams make the curing of hay 
difficult, barns should have ample storage space to take care of 
