WINTER RATIONS AND PASTURE GAINS OF CALVES. i 
ration of which silage is a part, will not do well on grass the follow- 
OBJECTS AND PLAN OF THE WORK. 
The experiments as a whole had these general problems in view : 
1. To ascertain the effect of different wintering rations upon subsequent 
pasture gains. 
2. To determine the most satisfactory and economical method of wintering. 
3. To determine the best method and the cost of raising beef cattle in West 
Virginia. 
Two distinct phases of the problems as above outlined presented 
themselves for solution: First, the keeping of grade beef cows to 
raise calves; second, the wintering of calves, yearlings, and 2-year- 
olds that are to be pastured the following summer and sold as stack- 
ers, feeders, or fat cattle. This bulletin takes up the work with 
calves. The results of the work with yearlings and cows are pub- 
lished in United States Department of Agriculture Bulletins 870 
and 1024, respectively. 
The work was carried on for a period of three years, in order to 
have an average of feeds, cattle, seasons, and other conditions tend- 
ing to produce variation. The general plan of the experiments, in- 
cluding the rations used for the different lots of calves, is given in 
Table 1. 
Table 1. — Plan of the three years' work. 
Lot No. 
Season. 
Calves 
in lot. 
Winter feed. 
Summer feed. 
1 
(1916-17 
1 1917-18 
11918-19 
11916-17 
•U917-18 
U918-19 
11916-17 
U917-18 
[1918-19 
10 
10 
10 
10 
Corn silage, rye hay, and cottonseed 
meal. 
Pasture. 
Do. 
Do. 
.....do 
Do. 
9 
10 
.....do 
Do. 
10 
10 
10 
10 
do 
Do. 
3 
Mixed hay and grain mixture * 
do 
Do. 
Do. 
do 
Do. 
! 
1 Grain mixture, parts by weight: 3 parts corn, 1 part bran, 1 part linseed meal. 
KIND OF CALVES USED. 
The calves used were grade Shorthorn, Hereford, and Aberdeen 
Angus. They were raised in southern West Virginia and were a 
good, uniform lot in age, weight, quality, and condition. They 
ranged in weight from 300 to 500 pounds, averaging 385 pounds at 
the beginning of the winter period, and were 1 year old the following 
spring. 
FEEDS USED. 
Samples of each of the feeds used were taken at different times 
during the winter periods and sent to the department of chemistry, 
West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, 
Morgantown. 
