131 



As pig No. 47 was in good condition when killed, and as 

 No. 63 was not, the lard from the former may be safely taken 

 as the more correct standard for lard from hogs fed exclusively 

 on corn. The average of the melting points of leaf lard and 

 body lard from this pig gives 11 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit as a 

 standard. The average melting point of lard from the pig fed 

 on cowpeas and corn was 113.4 degrees, or 2.2 degrees higher 

 than that of corn lard. When equal weights of peanuts and 

 corn were fed, the melting point of the lard was reduced 7.1 

 degrees Fahrenheit below the standard. When peanuts con- 

 stituted the entire ration the melting point was lowered by 

 35.1 degrees. 



Lard from exclusive peanut feeding solidified only during 

 the coldest weather of February, at other times in February 

 and March becoming almost a semi-liquid. 



The low melting point, or want of firmness of lard, made 

 from peanuts, injures its sale. However, cooking tests fail to 

 reveal any real inferiority. 



As shown by the above table, leaf lard was slightly firmer 

 than body lard. 



It is a common practice among farmers whose hogs 

 depend largely on peanuts, sweet potatoes and acorns, to feed 

 corn exclusively in the two or four weeks immediately pre- 

 ceding the date of butchering. The aim is to harden the meat. 



With the aim of learning to what extent pork can be 

 hardened by this process, one pig from each of the pens re- 

 ceiving peanuts or cowpeas, was placed on an exclusive corn 

 diet after the conclusion of the experiments described above. 

 This corn ration was continued for one month. Then the pigs 

 were slaughtered, the fat rendered into lard, and the melting 

 points again determined by Professor Ross, with the following 

 results : 



