40 BULLETIN" 631, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
and then wean the calves in the spring and feed them out on pasture 
for the fall market. In case the calves would not become sufficiently 
fat and heavy on pasture, they were to be finished in the dry lot 
the following fall. 
PLAN AND OBJECT OF THE WORK. 
The objects of the work were as follows: 
1. To determine if short-aged or late summer calves could be fed 
out or finished economically and profitably the following year. 
2. To learn whether cottonseed cake or a mixture of cottonseed 
cake and shelled corn was most satisfactory and profitable as a 
grain ration for fattening calves on grass and in the dry lot. 
The dams of the calves ran in the stalk fields and meadows of the 
plantation during most of the winter, but during the latter part they 
were fed some rough hay, silage, and a small amount of either cotton- 
seed or cottonseed cake. The calves ran with their dams during this 
period and picked up some feed. They were from 6 to 8 months old 
in the spring when they were taken from their dams, weaned, divided 
into two lots as nearly equal in quality, breeding, and size as it was 
possible to get them, and put on pasture, where they were to be 
given a supplemental grain ration once a day. 
The calves were principally grade Shorthorns and Eed Polls, 
although a few calves of other breeding were among them. 
Water was obtained from pools or ponds in the pasture, and these 
became very muddy and foul from the calves standing in them. This 
is the common method of watering cattle in the prairie region of 
Mississippi and Alabama. 
CHARACTER AND PRICES OF FEEDS USED. 
The two lots of calves were grazed on pastures as nearly uniform, 
with respect to the character of grasses, amount of grazing, character 
of soil and water, as it was possible to get. The pastures used were 
native unimproved prairie pastures with some relatively unimportant 
native grasses and Lespedeza or Japan clover growing on them. 
The Lespedeza furnished the principal grazing, although there was 
some crab grass and foxtail which was grazed to a certain extent. 
The pastures had many bare places where no plants grew. Good 
improved pastures could be made on such land by plowing, disking, 
and planting to good grasses and legumes, but in their native state 
they were relatively poor prairie pastures. About 4 acres were 
allowed for each calf. 
The summer of 1916 was an unusually droughty one, and as a 
result the pastures were poor and short all summer. There was no 
