466 TvviCNTv-KiGHTii Annual Report 



net receipts from the commissiuu agent was 142 yc greater than tlie 

 highest local quotation. This suggests that persons producing as 

 small quantities of wool as 50 pounds would profit by consigning 

 their wool to a warehouse or commission firm. 



ALFALFA PASTURE FOR HOGS 



The modern method of feeding hogs in Arizona is to maintain 

 them on good alfalfa pasture, and feed liberally on grains. Prelimi- 

 nary tests were conducted to ascertain the elYect of feeding young 

 pigs t)n alfalfa pasture alone and to learn the results of adding 

 alfalfa pasture to an otherwise well balanced ration. 



Alfalfa Pasture for Young Pigs: Two pigs 97 days old were 

 placed on a plot of alfalfa pasture and maintained there without 

 additional feed for eight weeks. During the first four weeks these 

 pigs lost two and one pounds, respectively, and the next four weeks 

 they gained eight pounds each. Oyer the entire eight weeks the 

 pigs on alfalfa pasture gained only six and seven pounds, respect- 

 ively, while the litter mates fed on ordinary rations made a gain of 

 40 pounds each. The results of this test prove that gains are 

 extremely low with young pigs maintained on alfalfa pasture which 

 is too coarse and bulky for them. After the pigs become older they 

 will make slow but steady gains on alfalfa pasture alone. 



Balanced Rations and Alfalfa Pasture I's. Balanced Rations in a 

 Dry Lot: Ten registered Duroc-Jersey pigs were divided into two 

 lots of five each. Both of these groups were fed rolled barley and 

 skim milk, but Lot 1 was fed in a dry lot and Lot 2 was given a 

 small amount of alfalfa pasture. Each lot Avas given two pounds 

 of rolled barley and six pounds of skim milk ])er 100 pounds live 

 Aveight. The experiment covered a period of 12 weeks and the 

 animals were weighed once a week during this time. As the ex- 

 periment advanced the amount of barley was increased to three 

 pounds per 100 pounds live weight and the skim milk continued at 

 the same rate. 



The lot consuming alfalfa pasture made more rapid gains, but 

 consumed 80.5 pounds more rolled barley and 108 pounds more 

 milk. During the entire experiment the pigs in Lot 2 made more 

 economical gains from the grain and skim milk consumed. This 

 difference was especially pronounced at the beginning of the ex- 

 periment, but towards the close there was little difference between 

 the two lots in the amount of food required to produce 100 pounds 

 of gain. No doubt the larger and fatter hogs made less efficient use 



