34 BULLETIN 762, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Comparison of the results secured by the use of the different rations 
indicates a slight advantage in the rate and cost of gains produced 
in favor of the ration of meal, silage, and hulls (Lot 3). But it will 
be recalled that the poor showing made during the second year's trial 
was due chiefly to the muddy condition of the lots and to the poor 
quality of the silage, the latter disadvantage reflecting most severely 
on the steers of Lot 2, which had no other roughage. Yet the steers 
fed only cottonseed meal and silage made the largest profit in each 
instance. The ration of cottonseed meal and hulls (Lot 1) proved the 
least satisfactory of the three rations tried, as the steers of this lot 
returned the least profit the first year and lost money in the second 
year. All the steers were sold on narrow margins, and the profits 
were only moderate. 
LAST TWO WINTERS' FEEDING. 
In the last two winters' feeding, the data of which are given under 
Group II of the summary table, the feeding periods for the two years 
were practically equal, the conditions for feeding improved, and all 
the feed was of high quality. 
Omitting Lot 4, which was carried only one year, the figures show 
that larger gains were made in each lot in the third year, 1915-16, 
chiefly owing to the heavier ration of cottonseed meal for that year. 
The cost of gains was quite uniform in each lot during the two years' 
trials, the largest variation being in Lot 1, where the difference was 
$0.97 per 100 pounds. The wide margins on which all the steers 
were sold in the last two years' tests are outstanding, ranging from 
$3.17 to $5.43 per 100 pounds. These large margins, together with 
good gains produced economically, are responsible for the remark- 
able profits realized on these cattle. The differences in profits shown 
in each lot for the two years are due mainly to the larger selling 
margins realized on the steers the last year. 
The results obtained from feeding the different rations show that 
the steers of Lot 1, fed cottonseed meal and sorghum silage, made the 
most rapid gains and made them more cheaply than the steers of any 
other lot. The ration of cottonseed meal, silage, and corn stover 
proved to be a little less efficient than cottonseed meal and silage 
alone, while the meal and silage supplemented with oat straw, which 
was fed to Lot 3, did not produce quite so rapid or so cheap gains as 
the second ration. The ration of cottonseed meal and dry roughages, 
which was given to Lot 4, did not produce results satisfactory as to 
rate and cost of gains. 
The profits from the various lots show that the first three rations 
were successfully fed, there being practically no difference in Lots 
1 and 2, which returned The most profits. Lot 3, because of slightly 
