BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 99 



has been of a preliminary character in organizing the investigations. 

 Cooperation is being received from the Southern Agricultural Work- 

 ers' Association, agricultural experiment stations of the Southern 

 States, the National Swine Growers' Association, and the Institute 

 of American Meat Packers. Throe hundred and eighteen hogs fed 

 experimentally at the Alabama. Xorth Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, 

 and Texas stations have been shipped to Beltsville for slaughter and 

 their meat examined. All were classed as firm except those that had 

 been fed on peanuts and some that were immature. 



SWINE-HUSBANDRY EXTENSION. 



During the last year the swine-extension work has been carried on 

 with the idea of teaching the farmers better and more economical 

 methods of production rather than nuiking a drive for increased 

 production, as was done during the war period. Farm demonstra- 

 tions were the principal means employed. The usual procedure was 

 to arrnnge with a farmer in a community to grow and feed a suitable 

 forage croi). <^^' f^^^^l a balanced ration, or otherwise manage his herd 

 according to recommendations of the extension specialist, and keep 

 satisfactory records. At intervals and especially at the close of the 

 demonstration the neighboring farmers were invited to meet at the 

 demonstrator's farm, and the specialist led a discussion of the prac- 

 tices and results. Various problems of hog raising were also consid- 

 ered at these meetings. 



The killing and curing demonstrations have been very favorably 

 received. A hog is killed one day and cut up and the meat put in 

 cure the next day. The methods of curing are explained and the 

 causes of failures discussed. In most cases the demonstration is in 

 cooperation w^ith the home demonstration agent, who cans some of 

 the meat and assists in making sausaae. headcheese, etc. The serving 

 of sausage adds interest to the occasion. 



Twenty-three field men working in 17 States w-ere emplo3^ed in 

 swine-extension activities during the year. They visited 636 counties 

 and gave 467 lectures before audiences totaling 48,172 persons. Tho}^ 

 organized 476 demonstrations, visited 1,196 farms, and aided farm- 

 ers in procuring 579 purebred sows and 156 purebred boars. 



SHEEP AND GOAT INVESTIGATIONS. 

 FARM-SIIEEP INVESTIGATIONS. 



Experimental work with farm sheep w^as continued at the bureau's 

 farms ijt Beltsville. Md., and Middlebury, Vt. The experiments at 

 B('lts\iJle consisted of a study of specialized sheep farming in which 

 forage crops were used for the sunmior pasture, and a study of the 

 relation of nutrition of ewes at breeding time to the percentage of 

 lambs prodiKcd. Data were obtained relative to the comparative 

 relisli with whi'-li sheej) ate different forage grops and the gains made 

 while pasturing ui)on them. It was demonstrated that with the fre- 

 quent rotation necessary in pasturing forage crops, sheep could be 

 successfully raised without danger of infestation by stomach worms 

 or other internal pai'asites. Kxpei'iments in the last four years to test 

 the ellect of fi-ed at bi-eeiHng time; ui)on the size of the laml> crop have 



