160 



Missouri Agricultural Report. 



the heavy fed lot. This means that 12.86 bushels of coru was re- 

 quired to fatten a pig under the system of light feeding for the first 

 four months after weaning, 13.54 bushels for the medium feeding 

 system, and 12 . 80 bushels for the system of rather heavy feeding from 

 weaning time. Under the three systems of feeding, then, we find that 

 very light feeding on pasture and then heavy feeding at fattening time 

 gives somewhat cheaper gains, pound for pound, than a heavy feed 

 from weaning time, but that it takes two months longer to get the 

 former ready for market. The time to have the hogs ready for market 

 would depend on market conditions, prevalence of disease, etc. More- 



Fig. 4. BLUEGRASS COJIES EARLY AND STAYS LATE. 



over, the difference is so small that of an expensive season for finish- 

 ing hogs, such as the cold months of winter or the hot months of 

 summer, can profitably be avoided by forcing the hogs from the start. 



Some conclusions drawn from the results of feeding hogs on 

 alfalfa at the Nebraska Experiment Station,* are as follows : 



"A light ration is not the most economical for growing pigs, unless 

 under peculiar circumstances, when alfalfa is abundant, grain very 

 high in price, and market conditions warrant holding the hogs. It 

 seems probable that two or more pounds of corn daily, per hundred- 

 weight of hogs, is more profitable than a lighter ration. 



* Neb. BuL 99. 



