The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-06
AGRICULTURE MADE In
ALL STATES.
AVOID LOSS OF WEIGHT
SMALL RATION OF COTTON SEED
MEAL. COwPEA HAY OR OTHER
GOOD FOOD WILL PRO-
DUCE RESULTS.

AS result OF experiment In feed
Ing cattle. specialists of the depart
ment of agriculture have found that
the loss in weight where steers are
wintered only on grazing In old stalk
fields and waste lands can be avoided
by feeding the steers a small ration
OF cotton seed meal, cowpea hay. or
other good feed.
These experiments, the results of
which are applicable to all Of the
Southern States. show that 500 or
500 pound steers lose about 103
pounds each when turned loose to
Craze without additional feed. The
full details of these experiments are
given in department of agriculture
bulletin No. 10.
To keep the steers which grazed
the stalk fields from losing any in
weight during the whole winter re-
CURED a daily feed of "a pounds OF
cotton seed meal and a ration OF 8
pounds of cowpea hay per head.
When cotton seed meal costs $4,000
per ton and cowpea hay proved to
be worth s1s.25 per ton for winter
ing stock or cattle
When large areas OF stalk fields
and waste lands are available for
winter grazing. it Is sometimes more
profitable to make the cattle depend
entirely upon them for their winter
feed than to use expensive feeds.
This is aften true with a cheap grade
of cattle. but It is seldom economical
to handle high priced stocker cattle
in this manner, because the initial
cost Of the weight lost Is too great
For instance. II two steers, costing 4
cents and cents, respectively. lost
100 pounds each in weight. the actu al
cost Of the flesh lost would be "a
and 81. respectively.
, When the various lots Of cattle
that weFe wtntered in different ways
were fed cotton seed cake the FOL
steers which became thtnnest in flesh
during the winter made tho largest
daily gains during the summer. Like
wise. the steers which had been fed
during the winter and had not lost
In weight, made the smallest gains
the following summer. When the
daily gains for both the winter and
summer periods were considered
however, the cattle which had Seen
fed during the winter made the
larger gains.
II scrub cattle are raised It may
be more economical to make them
utilize the waste fields. and rough
folders of the farm without other
feed during the winter than to give
them good feeds, but cattle OF good
quality wf~th with bring q high price
should no, be allowed to lose %
heavily In flesh.
According to tho same authority. n
Is much more profitable to feed steers
a daily cation Of 8 Ia to pounds
OF cotton seed cake per head while
on pasture than to erase them on
pasture alone. Tho steers which were
fed cotton seed cAke on grass made
larger daily grains, fattened faster.
sold. for a higher price. ana dressed
cut higher percentage OF market
able meat than the steers which re-
ceived grass alone. The financial re-
suits, as a whole, ara In keeping with
the results obtained In former work.
1t paid both years to supplement the
pasture with cotton seed cake, but 1t
did not pay to feed alfalfa hay to
steers on pasture. Tho steers which
were grazed without supplementary
feeds made an average profit each
summer for two years Of $6.0e per
head. while the steers fed cotton seed
cake on pasture made an average
profit of $3.50 per head.