Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1886 [PAGE 228]

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220 make it advisable to dogmatize as to comparative merit. Individual peculiarities have sometimes outweighed breed characteristics. The well-known differences in form and size have been always noticeable; as have, in less degree, differences in earliness of maturity. We have not found the remarkable differences in gain, either actual or in comparison with food eaten, that have been claimed by partisans for or against different breeds. We have not found the largest gains always made by the cattle of best quality. Frequently the steers which do best on grass fail to do best on grain. The best steer fattened on the farms for several years past wasa cross-bred Hereford-Shorthorn; the next best was a pure Shorthorn. Several half Holstein steers have made more than usually large gains, and have been of fair quality. No case is recalled of a steer of really good form and quality which had not a good proportion of the blood of some well known breed, but large gains have been made by animals of unknown breeding, but evidently mainly of "unimproved" stock.

SOME GENERAL CONCLUSIONS.

The following conclusions are believed to be confirmed by our experience. They are to be understood as applying to present conditions in Central Illinois: 1st. Increase of weight in cattle is most cheaply secured by pasturage without any grain, during the best part of the season. 2d. Feeding whole corn in the autumn months to cattle on the pasture is the least expensive method of fattening cattle. 3J. Under like conditions, young animals make largest gain in pioportion to.food eaten. 4th. The largest gains may be expected from animals in thin flesh if in good health. It is difficult to secure rapid gain in weight during long continued feeding. 5th. It is not profitable to feed grain to yearling steers on good pasture, if it is designed to keep them another year and fatten for general market. 6th. Apparently from 30 to 36 months are the most profitable ages at which to sell cattle fattened on this system—unless those of greater age can be bought at a price which gives no profit to the grower. 7th. The differences in animals of like breeding and under like treatment is often greater than those between typical animals of different breeds. 8th. Under the prevalent methods of wintering stock steers in the western States little or no gain is made in weight during winter. It is difficult, if not impossible, to secure, under good conditions, gains in winter which shall nearly equal those made in summer. 9th. Calves reared on skim milk, with addition of some meal, may make entirely satisfactory growth and beef animals of good quality.