The Sentinel=record., 1914-04-26
TESTING PROFITS
 ON BEEF CATTLE
AVERAGE PROFIT UNDER SOUTH. ERN CONDITIONS SHOWN
 TO BE $6.st.
Cottonseed Meal and Cake and Corn Siiage and Hay Used for a Fatten- ing Feed.

| Washington, D. C., April 25.-Tle average profit for beef calf raised under average southern conditions is $6.Sl according to experiments which the U, $. Department of Agriculture has been conducting, working with the state of Alabama The eXper- ments have extended over three years with the object of learning what t would cost 10 raise beef calves to an age of about nine and one-half months, as we'll as to determine the profit in finishing these calves for the market during the winter months and selling them when about twelve mo1ths o'd
 The herd on which the test was made was free from tuberculosis and was rapidly being made free from cattle ticks, Every animal on the farm was dipped in a solution of arsenic every two weeks No ticks were seen on the calves during the progress of the test
 The cows were bred so as to have the calves dropped during the spring mCnths During the summer months the animals, both young and old, graz ed upol a moderately good pasture; ; no feed except salt was given in ad- dition to the pasture. During these pasture months the cows ate nothing but pasture grasses while the calves had the cows milk in addition to the grasses. The main pasture was made mp principally of Japan clover and broom sedge, which had come natur- | ally after the clearing of the land. This large pasture consisted of ap- proXimately 1000 acres, but very large part was covered with trees under these trees the ground was bare A small adjoining pasture of approximately 90 acres had been part ly set to Bermuda grass, but this was used only occasionally for some calves. These permanent pastures afforded the animals reasonably good grazing for about six months Of the year
 When the pastures became ex-
 
 were weaned, the males castrated, and the cows and calves placed in 1 separate fields and fed and managed l differently. The cows were paced in l the old corn and cotton fields, thus being fed the rough feeds of the farm along with small amounts of cotton seed cake The calves were prepared for the winter fattening period.
 Cottonseed meal, cottonseed cake, pastures, corn silage, and broom. sedge hay were all used in the test. | Cottonseed meal, corl-siage. and the hay were fed to the calves during the fattening period All of the feeds eX- cept the broom-sedge hay were Of | good quality. The cottonseed meal and cottonseed cake were fresh and bright. The corn silage was also of excellent quality; it was made of corn which would have yielded about 90 bushels of grain to the acre. While the hay was bright, clean, and well cured, it was of exceptionally poor quality as broom sedge will not make good quality of hay. It is however, roughage that should not be wasted
 In work of this character the final- cial statement is not as exact as might be desired, because the price of | feeds. as well as of cattle, fluctuates considerably from year. The financial outcome of a particular experiment may not be duplicated by the cattle raiser or feeder owing to the differ ent conditions under which he is operating The prices paid for tle feeds were as follows: Those of corn silaee and hay being estimated. cot tonseed meal and cottonseed cake $26 ton, corn silage $3 a ton, and broom sedee hay g. a tor
 No barns or other artificial shelter were provided for the cows. During the winter months they were in fields where trees, with the underbrush. af- ] forded ample protection for mature animals. Tie calves, however, were provided with excellent she,ter during the winter While being fattened | they were ilclosed in a small lot in which was good barn. The doors were always open so that they could go in and out at will. They were fed twice each day in troughs placed un- der the extending caves of the barn. The calves were fed in such amounts that the feed was all eaten within a short time after it was put before them. An abundance of pure water and salt was provided all the time.
 At the close of the test the calves which had been fattened were sold and shipped to New Orleans. The eX- perimental farm was located miles from Belamy, Ala, the nearest rail- road station, and the animals were driven to that point to be loaded on the cars.
 Quit Calomel! 1t is dangerous. Try Criasby's LlV-verlax, that vegetable It,,a. svrttp nuzranteed 10 produce