FATTENING CATTLE IN ALABAMA. 25 
GENERAL PLAN OF THE THREE YEARS' WORK. 
The steers were purchased each fall, divided into lots, and wintered 
in five different ways, as shown in Table 9. At the end of the winter 
work the steers were redivided into groups, which were to be fattened 
on grass and supplementary feeds during the summer months. The 
steers that had been used in the winter work were so divided that 
some of the animals of each winter lot were placed in each group of 
cattle for the summer fattening. In this way the effects of the treat- 
ment given during the winter upon the gains made by the steers 
during the summer could be studied. 
The feeding during the summer consisted of finishing the cattle 
on pasture alone, as compared with finishing them on pasture in 
combination with some supplementary feed, as cottonseed cake, cotton 
seed, cold-pressed cottonseed cake, cottonseed cake and corn, etc. 
The steers used in the experiments contained a large percentage 
of Jersey and scrub blood, although most of them had the blood 
of some one of the various beef or dual-purpose breeds in their 
veins. All had been raised in Sumter County or neighboring coun- 
ties in Alabama on tick-infested premises, and were from 2 to 4 
years old. Their weights ranged from 600 to 900 pounds in the 
fall, with an average of about 700 pounds. 
DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS. 
In order to present this subject as clearly as possible, the results 
will be considered from two main standpoints; the first giving a 
comprehensive view of the three years' work arranged under the 
B.ve different methods of winter treatment, showing the results of 
the summer feeding obtained from each one separately (see Table 9); 
the second presenting a similar view under each of the six methods 
of summer fattening, showing in a direct manner the results of the 
several methods of winter treatment upon the gains made with 
each kind of summer feed (see Table 10). These tables are also 
supplemented by three charts (figs. 2, 3, and 4), giving the results 
in graphic form. 
COMPARISON OF RESULTS UNDER WINTER METHODS OF FEEDING. 
The results secured under each method of winter feeding are seen 
in Table 9, which is divided into Hye sections, each one representing 
a fixed winter ration followed by various kinds of summer feeding, 
both winter and summer work extending over three years. The 
winter lots of cattle are designated by the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, 
while those fed during the summers are listed as groups A, B, C, 
E, F, and G, each number and each letter standing for a separate 
method of feeding. The columns of the table show, in order, the 
number of steers in each summer group, the average weights in the 
fall, and the average total and daily gains for the winter and sum- 
mer, and for both combined. 
