BULLETIX 
V. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The character of the pasture lands and grasses is described in De- 
partment of Agriculture Bulletin 110, entitled " Fattening Cattle in 
Alabama,'' from which the following is quoted: 
The summer pastures used in these experiments consisted of a mixture of 
sweet clover (melilotus), Japan clover (lespedeza), Johnson grass, crab grass, 
and some Bermuda grass. The sweet-clover seed had been planted, but the 
other plants were purely voluntary. As a rule sweet clover becomes available 
for light grazing by March 15, while the Japan clover and Bermuda grass 
seldom afford good grazing before May 15. 
Rains and showers were frequent throughout the summer, and 
abundant grazing was furnished by the pastures until September, 
when it became very dry. The pastures were charged to the steers 
at 50 cents a head for each period of 28 days. 
METHOD OF FEEDING AND HANDLING THE CATTLE. 
The three lots of steers were put on pasture May 28, 1912. The 
pastures had not been used for a month and were in fine condition. 
The steers were weighed at the beginning of the work and again at 
the end. As some of them were extremely wild, the former practice 
of weighing every 28 days was discontinued. 
Lots 1 and 2 were supplied with good artesian water, while lot 3 
had water only from pools in the pasture. All the cattle were salted 
once a week. The cattle of lot 1 had little attention other than 
salting. Lot 2 was fed once a day, about sundown, cottonseed cake 
and corn chop, and lot 3 was fed cottonseed cake in troughs placed 
in the pasture. The cattle went on feed well, and came up for their 
feed with little trouble. 
All steers were dipped four times during the progress of the 
experiment to insure freedom from ticks. 
RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT. 
A summary of this test is shown in Table 1. 
Table 1. — Results of summer steer feeding in Alabama, 1912. 
Item. 
Number of steers 
Days of feeding period 
Average daily ration per head: 
Cottonseed cake pounds. . 
Corn chop do 
Cost of feed per 100 pounds gain 
Cost per head to feed through summer 
Initial cost of steers per 100 pounds. . 
Selling price of steers do 
Average profit per steer 
Per cent dressed 
Average initial weight pounds. . 
Average final (market) weight per head do 
Average total gain per head do 
Average daily gain per head do 
Lotl. 
Pasture 
alone. 
29 
112 
SI. 71 
$2.00 
?3. 87 
$4.00 
S3. 47 
48.68 
646 
763 
117 
1.04 
Lot 2. 
Lot 3. 
Pasture 
and one- 
half corn 
chop and 
one-half 
cottonseed 
cake. 
25 
106 
1.75 
1.75 
S5. 14 
S7.36 
53. 87 
54. 75 
S4.69 
51.91 
601 
744 
143 
1.35 
Pasture 
and 
cottonseed 
cake. 
36 
101 
3. .56 
$5. 32 
$6. 88 
S3. 87 
S4.75 
S4.61 
51.62 
611 
740 
129 
1.2S 
