Arizona republican., 1899-01-15
THE FEEDING OF CATTLE
Sfockmen Will Assist Uncle Sam in
 Making Experiments.

There was 8 meeting yesterday after noon in the rooms of the Arizona Live stock association for the purpose ot discussing cattle-feeding. Prof. Par sens of the Experimental station was present. He came up from Tucson to gain some definite information as t0 the desires of the cattlemen in regard to the proposed experiments. and he stated that at a meeting of the Uni versity regents the matter had been discussed and all of it's members were in favor of making the tess aske1 if the catrlemen will cooperate with the government in the matter.
 Prof. Gull6y outlined the situation in regard to the present conditions Of feeding in the valley, which he said was very unsatisfactory. The cattle men W5re all at sea, and there is 9 de- mand on all sides for some information which will help them out of the situa- tion which has become embarra ssing. The cattlemen of the valley are not disposed to take a back scat. They want to secure the best beef possible, and they are determined to find the proper mixture of rations which wi give the stock of this valley first place
 
 present system of feeding Salt river valley cattle rarely received that dis tinction. 'The experimental station, '' complained Pref. Gulley, "has been running for the pest five years, but we, as cattlemen, have received very little benefit from it's work
 In explanation Of the assistance which the cattlemen ask of Uncle Sam, Pref. Gulley said: we are feeding at the present time 3OO0O to 10000 head of cattle and inc valley ranchers receive about $125.000 from this source every year. The stock shipped to eastern markets is quoted as second class. The range cattle brought down for fattening are fed alfalfa alone, but during the past year some sorghum has been fed. I believe that a coml7i- nation of these products in feeding will prove benficial In 1891 a test of all falfa and ripe sorghum feeding was made, which proved that there was great advantage in this method. The results however were not what they might have been if the tests were made in more scientific manner. I think if the experimental station will take up this work it will result in a gain to the cattlemen of s100000 a year.
 ffWe are all at sea-" continued Pro- lessor Gulley. "Fhere is not a catSse- man in the valley who knows absolute 1y what a ton Of hay will produce in feed; we want to know what the shrinkage of alfalfa is in the stack, and there are lot of other things we want to know about"
 Mir John Norton brought out an- other important subject fer Prof. Par sons and the board of regents to con- sider, and which will furnish new line of experimentation fer Uncle Sam. ''I have always claimed" said MT. Norton, "that the proper way to handle alfalfa to get the greatest returns is not in grazing but incutting the alfalfa and feeding it in pens, first letting it half cure. I would suggest some ex- periments in :lhis line so that the ranchers will know whether they are losing or gaining by allowing their stock to graze." MT. Norton asked Pref. Parsons opinion in regard to feeding millet with alfalfa, and Prof. Parson thought it would work admir- ably, although if was too heavy to feed it alone to stock.
 Prof. Parsons of the experimental station, said that the experimental sta