Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


 of gain was considerably less than for the other lots of steers. It will be
 noticed that the cost of one pound of gain decreases when the average daily
 gain increases. The amount of feed consumed does not wholly determine the
 average daily gain or the cost per pound of gain. But the nutritive ratio of
 the rations fed, as is seen in the case of Lot IV, to a large extent controls the
 average daily gain, and the cost per pound of gain. The nearer a balanced
 ration is fed (nutritive ratio 1:6 or 1:7), the larger average daily gain may be
 expected, and the cheaper will be the gain per pound. It will be seen that
 the steers in Lot IV, on cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls, made only an
 average daily gain of 1.85 pounds.
 FOR MILK PRODUCTION
 During the winter of 1908-9 a test of feeds for milk production was con-
 ducted at this Station. The feeds tested were, velvet beans in the pod, wheat
 bran, and sorghum silage, compared with cottonseed meal (7.5 per cent.
 ammonia), wheat bran, and sorghum silage. This test indicates that 2.83
 pounds of velvet beans in the pod are equal to one pound of cottonseed meal,
 analyzing 7.5 per cent. ammonia. One ton of cottonseed meal costs on the
 market five times what it costs the farmer to raise one ton of velvet beans in
 the pod. The results of this test show that in feeding value, for milk produc-
 tion, 2000 pounds of cottonseed meal are equal to 5660 pounds of velvet
 beans in the pod.
 But 2000 pounds cottonseed meal cost- ----._ .. $30.00
 5660 velvet beans in pod can be grown by the farmer for_ 16.98

 A savingin favor of velvet beans of_---------_. -$13.02
 The cost of planting and cultivating velvet beans is estimated at $6.00
 per acre, the yield being taken as 2000 pounds per acre. This is a liberal
 allowance for the cost of producing an acre, and the estimated yield is what
 would be considered only a fair crop. The following table gives the results of
 the milk test in detail.
 TABLE XXV
 AMOUNTS OF FEED CONSUMED AND MILK PRODUCED
Lot I First Period-January 20 to February 9, 1909 Lot II
 Pounds Pounds
Velvet beans in pod--..... 267.75 Cottonseed meal.-------- 94.5
Wheat bran_--------_. 630 Wheat bran ---------_ 630
Sorghum silage..------._ 2142 Sorghum silage -------_ 1543.5
 Milk produced ------1069.3 Milk produced .----- 879.2
Lot I Second Period-February 17 to March 9, 1909 Lot II
 Pounds Pounds
Cottonseed meal--------- 94.5 Velvet beans in pod------ 267.75
Wheat bran------------ 630 Wheat bran__--------- 630
Sorghum silage----- ---1543.5 Sorghum silage -------- 2142
 Milk produced ----. 1077.3 Milk produced ------ 858.3